Apprentices are good for business

ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, is to host a live and interactive webinar (seminar on the web) on Thursday 18th February, to discuss the importance of apprenticeships to the construction sector, particularly during recession.

With a renewed push to attract even more employers to take on an apprentice in 2010, the webinar will draw on intelligence from industry leaders who work closely with apprentices, to build the skills that employers and industry need.  

This follows the government’s National Apprenticeship Week, which aims to celebrate apprenticeships and boost interest from employers and young people alike. The construction industry holds a long tradition of employing apprentices, but is now tasked with attracting employers to provide spaces, rather than concentrating solely on encouraging more young people to consider this vocational training route.

Recent research by ConstructionSkills revealed that out of 1,500 industry firms surveyed, apprenticeship take‑up was 85% lower than planned in those looking to cut back on overheads.

The research showed that respondents planned to take on 674 apprentices in the last 12 months (an average of 1.7 per firm). However, they actually took on 103 (an average of 0.2 per company) – only 15% of the planned number. Across all 1,500 firms, the number of apprentices recruited in the last 12 months was 373 (an average of 0.2 apprentices per company).

Steve Hearty, Head of Employer Services at ConstructionSkills comments: “The recession has hit the construction industry hard; there is no denying that. However, with the right support from government and industry trade bodies, taking on an apprentice could be a solid business decision. They can help you remain competitive and be in the strongest position possible for when the upturn begins.

“This Webinar will review where we are with apprenticeships, as well as act as a forum for debate and insight into the future of apprenticeships. We understand the business priorities of construction companies, and the fact that some may feel that they are unable to take on an extra member of staff and, importantly, the team. This is where we have to provide information on how they can do this and why they should; quite simply, to benefit their business for the short and long term. 

Mark Gelder, Director of Operations for Willmott Dixon Partnerships comments: “Apprenticeships are a key element of our plans for the future.  To ensure we have a skilled workforce to meet our future growth plans, it is my responsibility to provide sufficient apprenticeships to enable us to provide a first class service to our customers, and that our apprentices are receiving the correct training so that they can fulfil not only their own needs and aspirations but also fulfil the future requirements of the local community and industry as a whole”.

On Thursday 18th February, in partnership with Construction News, the interactive Webinar will provide stimulating debate on why apprentices are good for business, with comment and insight delivered by leading apprenticeship specialists from ConstructionSkills, Morgan Ashurst and Willmott Dixon, as well as other industry-leading figures.

The webinar will be hosted live on Thursday 18th February 2010 – to register for FREE visit www.cn-apprentices.com

-Ends-

Contact:Jessica Hope – Press Officer at ConstructionSkills - jessica.hope@cskills.org / 0300 456 5407

About ConstructionSkills

ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the construction industry. It is a partnership between CITB-ConstructionSkills, CIC and CITB Northern Ireland. It is UK-wide and represents the whole industry from professional consultancies to major contractors and SMEs.

Established as an SSC in 2003, ConstructionSkills is working to deliver a safe, professional and fully qualified construction workforce. All three partners are committed to working together to deliver industry-led skills and training solutions through the Sector Skills Agreement for construction. We work to negotiate the best partnership and funding deals for the construction industry to help raise standards, increase diversity and develop the skills products and services employers need.

The construction sector is central to the UK economy, generating over 8% of UK GDP and with a turnover of more than £210bn a year.