With National Apprenticeship Week occurring this week (14th to 18th March), UK Construction Media presents a series of features about the skills gap and need for apprentices within the industry.
In this first feature, we speak with the TAC (Technicians Apprenticeship Consortium) about why need has fostered a new outlook on industry skills acquisition.
The UK field of engineering is at a crossroads, and actions must be taken. We face a retention gap that, in the next decade, is estimated to cost the industry up to £9.5Bn, as well as a lack of skills to satisfy 1.82 million jobs. As such, no longer can companies excuse themselves from addressing, at least in part, such problems – the industry must work together to ensure skills are fostered that will benefit and make the future skills pipeline sustainable.
As encapsulated by Graham Nicholson, Executive Managing Director, Tony Gee and Partners: “There is a real sense of optimism a real sense of optimism within the construction community. However this optimism is tempered by a concern as to whether we have the right quantity and quality of skilled personnel that we need in order to meet our commitments. Recent forecasts have shown that the highest annual recruitment requirement is amongst professional and technical staff. Clearly we, as companies, need to look beyond our traditional recruitment sources and offer more varied and flexible routes into engineering to help meet the demand for skills.”
The government has recently made strides to address the lack of skills projected within the UK workforce pipeline. Capturing the attention of many involved within industry is the ambitious target set for three million apprenticeship positions by 2020. This is exceedingly ambitious as it would equate to recruiting one apprentice every minute for the next five years.
While making apprenticeships more mainstream and acceptable paths to careers in the field, in order to ensure the success of apprenticeship, particularly within the field of infrastructure, a quality program for apprenticeships is essential. It is for this reason that the Technical Apprenticeship Consortium (TAC) was created in 2010, prior to the current Trailblazer initiative.
Until 2010 there were only a few engineering consultancy practices that participated in or ran their own apprenticeship programmes to develop skills, being reliant mainly on graduate programmes to develop staff. The change in perspective about the importance of skills development, and subsequently apprenticeships was through the increased occurrence of apprenticeships related standards within procurement criteria. This procurement process, such as the Transport for London (TfL) framework, pushed six major engineering consultancy practices to create Technician Apprenticeship Consortium (TAC).
An award winning programme that has now seen over 1000 apprentices, the number of companies involved in TAC has increased as the need for apprenticeships to develops skills have become obvious, throughout the UK.
Now according to Sheila Hoile, project manager for the consortium: “there are 20 companies involved in our national group, and having started in London there are an additional 50 firms now engaged regionally as demand increases”.
With both a skills and retention gap, amounting to 1.82 million jobs that must be satisfied and up to £9.5Bn in potential turnover loss, involvement in TAC or other apprenticeship schemes is increasing as a form of necessity for business.
Neil Weller a Partner at Troup Bywater + Anders
Amongst other benefits to business, Neil Weller a Partner at Troup Bywater + Anders stresses the apprenticeships allow for an “increased home grown talent who understand the culture of our business and bridging the ever growing skills gap in engineering” with other useful benefits in terms of bringing “exuberance to the office” as well as “growing the diversity.”
Given the benefits apprenticeships bring to individual businesses it is not surprising that if a greater number of businesses participate the industry at large will see a positive improvement towards being able to address future demands or challenges.
As said by Debra Larkman, HR Development Director for BDP: “Apprentices are hugely important to our industry. There are too few graduates to meet demand in most areas and apprenticeships can fill this gap in resources very effectively. Allowing talented individuals to earn while they learn and providing an alternative route into the professions also encourages much needed diversity. It is remarkable how rapidly the mix of work-based and academic leaning allows apprentices to become productive members of the team.”
Recently the Apprenticeship Levy has also appeared on the radar. Set at .5% of payroll with a £15,000 payback for smaller companies, will have a major impact upon engineering consultancy practices. This cost will continue to drive companies towards further involvement in apprenticeship schemes.
Yet as companies veer towards incorporating apprenticeships into their business model, they must take heed of what has been learnt from peers as well as consider the repute of programmes being implemented.
Claire Oliver, HR Manager of Troup Bywaters + Anders, has three insights for employers thinking to take on an apprentice.
- “Find the right training provider before the apprentices start and build a good relationship with them
- Make sure all apprentices are given a mentor at work who is committed to their development and takes responsibility for their progress and any concerns they want to share. The mentors should appreciate the importance of this role in that it is passing their knowledge on to the next generation
- Develop an outline schedule of things the apprentices will learn at work and regularly review their progress and achievements.”
For potential apprentices or for parents of apprentices, it is vital to ensure that the hands on learning which takes place prepares one for a future in the field. As such quality assurance is highly desired within an apprenticeship.
To meet industry needs and foster a long term career, a defining feature of all TAC apprenticeship programmes is that they are developed with the support of the relevant Professional Engineering Institutions and correlate to the Eng Tech requirements for UKSPEC. Making TAC a viable step to a new career for participants, and a new industry skills outlook for businesses.
It is together that we can move forward to secure the future of our industry, by fostering the skills of tomorrow’s leaders and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to join this exciting field.
National Apprenticeship Week celebrates the accomplishments of all UK apprentices, those businesses that participate in apprenticeship programmes, along with the apprenticeship programmes assisting the UK to ‘rise to the top’ for skills development.
For more information on Technician Apprenticeship Consortium (TAC), please visit tacnet.org.uk
Please participate in National Apprenticeship Week on Twitter by using the hashtag #NAW2016 and tagging @TAC_Apprentices
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