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Skills Shortages

The construction industry (namely services) is suffering from skills shortages without an apparent solution. There has been a flurry of press activity but not much action. How does the industry make itself more attractive to the younger generation? There are short training courses offered but these are not the solution and there are many mature people entering the industry on the promise of a quick buck. The majority of these (that I have encountered) have little passion for the industry and the quality of work can be quite poor. We don't want to end up in a situation whereby these guys are training the next generation.

I think that the apprentice schemes should be made easier for SME's to take part in. Many are small concerns and cannot commit to the burden. However, some of these owner operators have so much experience to offer and it's a shame to let the knowledge pass by. Perhaps the 'apprentice' could be in charge of his/her own portfolio and it to be made easier for them to jump between companies to gain their experience? The colleges could hold a register of approved organisations so that the system is not abused by people wanting cheap labour....

I have met youngsters that have been able to attend and pass the first year of college but unable to progress further because they cannot find companies interested in taking them on. How can this be so with the skills crisis? I presume the bureaucracy is putting off the SME's.

I would guess that other industries have similar issues?

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0 Roy Bowdler over 5 years ago

Hi Andy,

I have had no direct involvement with The Institute for Apprenticeships and no personal knowledge of anyone at a senior level. If this had come into being 10+ years ago then the situation would have been different. The person who inherited my responsibilities, is industry lead for one of the pathways. The IET has helped in the creation of several pathways through the “trailblazer” process. Some apprenticeships are actually assessed by a UK-SPEC based PEI assessment and I had the opportunity to coach some of in preparation for that recently.

Obviously I have sought to share my experience of and enthusiasm for the apprenticeship model, but the challenge now is to make the new system work. For example I have seen complaints for employers that “red-tape” has stifled existing initiatives. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/07/one-year-infrastructure-levy-working-yet/ There is also the perennial problem continued over the 30+ years that I have observed government industrial training policy of “who gets what share of the financial cake”. I note here https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/about/the-institute-6-months-on/ that the Institute has a budget of circa £10 Million.

At this relatively early stage, there will naturally be some uncomfortable bedfellows and trust will need to be built. For example, as I have alluded to before in these forums, there is a long history of snobbery towards apprenticeships, in which members of the Engineering Council family have been and in some cases continue to be enthusiastic participants. I have seen at first hand over recent years how the attitude of the IET as a body has modernised, but there is still a long way to go before wider social attitudes change, if they ever do.
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0 Roy Bowdler over 5 years ago

Hi Andy,

I have had no direct involvement with The Institute for Apprenticeships and no personal knowledge of anyone at a senior level. If this had come into being 10+ years ago then the situation would have been different. The person who inherited my responsibilities, is industry lead for one of the pathways. The IET has helped in the creation of several pathways through the “trailblazer” process. Some apprenticeships are actually assessed by a UK-SPEC based PEI assessment and I had the opportunity to coach some of in preparation for that recently.

Obviously I have sought to share my experience of and enthusiasm for the apprenticeship model, but the challenge now is to make the new system work. For example I have seen complaints for employers that “red-tape” has stifled existing initiatives. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/07/one-year-infrastructure-levy-working-yet/ There is also the perennial problem continued over the 30+ years that I have observed government industrial training policy of “who gets what share of the financial cake”. I note here https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/about/the-institute-6-months-on/ that the Institute has a budget of circa £10 Million.

At this relatively early stage, there will naturally be some uncomfortable bedfellows and trust will need to be built. For example, as I have alluded to before in these forums, there is a long history of snobbery towards apprenticeships, in which members of the Engineering Council family have been and in some cases continue to be enthusiastic participants. I have seen at first hand over recent years how the attitude of the IET as a body has modernised, but there is still a long way to go before wider social attitudes change, if they ever do.
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Skills Shortages

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