This week is National Apprenticeship Week, an opportunity for education and business to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and the positive impact they make to the community, businesses, and the wider economy with many of them going on to become our future management, and leaders.
A skilled workforce is vital to our economic growth and prosperity and it’s the next generation that we need to equip with the necessary skills to make this happen. Apprenticeships are no longer a second option after higher education and surveys show that most young people would now consider an apprenticeship. Indeed, our universities now offer apprenticeships akin to our further education colleges and UCAS are putting apprenticeships on their website as part of the choices on offer.
As an employer, I still find the process and language around apprenticeships confusing. For instance, they are available at four levels, starting with intermediate (equivalent to five GCSEs), up to degree level. Why would you start with intermediate? It is so confusing!
The work that we are doing on the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is highlighting these sort of issues as well as what has happened to some Level 3 and 4 in some subjects; how will the different qualifications work together (T-Levels, apprenticeships, degrees, degree apprenticeships, micro-credentials to name a few); how does the funding work and how can a business be subsidised by a levy payer; and how can an employer give and get soft skills for their employees?
I am a fan of what apprenticeships and training can do for business and we have at least 20% of our workforce undertaking training at any one time, I just wish it could be more streamlined and simpler!
We want to address the skills challenges and barriers that local firms are facing when recruiting or upskilling staff so if you would like to join in the debate and find out more the LSIP contact Suzanne Quinn, who also runs the Chambers HR & Skills Forum; suzanne.quinn@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
It seems perfect timing that National Apprenticeships Week should follow on from the results of the latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Recruitment Outlook for October to December 2022. The survey records the worst recruiting difficulties since the it began in 1989 with the figures showing that more than eight in 10 companies attempting to bring in new employees over the last few months have faced challenges. We are seeing this in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire too, and whilst the recruitment problem is persistent across all sectors, hospitality firms are most likely to face labour market issues followed by manufacturing, construction and professional services – all key to our economy.
So what can be done to alleviate the problem?
The Chambers are asking the Government to work with firms on solutions including childcare support and an urgent reform of the Shortage Occupations List. They must review the systems to support employment – from support offered by charities to those furthest from the labour market (which will cease with the demise of European funding), to the failures of the apprenticeship systems.
There are increasing concerns about businesses being able to support T-levels and the abolition of many BTECs which will not help develop a skilled and effective workforce for the future.
We know that more experienced people need to be kept in the workforce to help pass on their knowledge to new entrants. Factors which are putting more strains on recruitment include many people retiring early and people looking for more agile working (so they can live anywhere and work anywhere too).
Women workers suffered a great deal through Covid and we need to do more to make it easier for parents to come back to full-time employment. Access to childcare must be simple and affordable; we would like to see the introduction of a flexible family childcare budget that can be used to meet individual family’s’ needs.
Finally, Government must hear our calls to reform the Shortage Occupation List to help businesses fill urgent job vacancies when they cannot recruit locally. It should reflect, and offer solution to, the skills and labour challenges facing our businesses.
But don’t be discouraged! Apprentices (and they can be any age and can be already in your workforce) are a great solution to productivity and development in businesses. You can find out more about what apprentices can do for your business at the following links:
Hire an apprentice (apprenticeships.gov.uk)
Apprenticeships – Stoke-on-Trent College :Stoke-on-Trent College (stokecoll.ac.uk)
Apprenticeships – Keele University
Apprenticeships – Staffordshire University (staffs.ac.uk)
Find out about Apprenticeships | Buxton & Leek College (blc.ac.uk)
Apprenticeships – South Staffordshire College (southstaffs.ac.uk)
Apprenticeships – University of Wolverhampton (wlv.ac.uk)
You can also catch up on a round-up of all our local apprenticeships stories from our Daily Focus newsletter, highlighting how businesses of all sizes are benefitting from apprentices: Apprenticeship Week – Daily Focus (daily-focus.co.uk)
If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
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