TUC Apprenticeships pack inserts (7a)

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12 UCATT charter UCATT and Apprenticeships U CATT believes that Apprenticeships are vital in developing the skills needed to sustain a prosperous construction industry. There is a growing skills shortage in the sector. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) forecasts that the industry needs 46,400 new entrants every year. Figures from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) for 2014/5 show that just 24,850 people were undergoing construction training. In addition, only 8,470 construction apprentices actually completed their Apprenticeship and qualified in 2014/15 and only 2,070 of these became fully-skilled construction workers to the industry gold standard of NVQ Level 3. UCATT is therefore calling for urgent action to tackle the growing skills shortage and make sure there are many more highquality construction Apprenticeship opportunities available. The union is campaigning for all major public sector contracts to be awarded only to contractors committed to delivering proper, employer-led and workplacebased Apprenticeships. This will not only help get young people into work but the economy benefits too. The National Audit Office has estimated that every one pound spent on Apprenticeships returns between £16 and £21 pounds into the economy. But wider action is also needed. It is clear that the make-up of the industry is preventing sufficient numbers of apprentices being trained. Fragmentation of the construction sector has resulted in a reduction of directly-employed workers, more subcontracting and greater use of agencies and gangmasters. This is failing Apprenticeships. UCATT is demanding that the issue of “false self-employment” is tackled and that direct employment is the main method of employing construction workers. Only then will sizeable (and badly needed) numbers of apprentices enter the construction industry. UCATT is calling for: ➜➜ stronger procurement rules requiring apprentices to be employed on public jobs ➜➜ additional funding to support construction Apprenticeships ➜➜ more small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) involvement in Apprenticeship schemes ➜➜ tighter regulation of self-employment ➜➜ better funding of adult Apprenticeships. In addition to campaigning for action, UCATT is also working in partnership with progressive employers to develop and support high-quality Apprenticeship opportunities in both the private and public sectors. For example, construction firms that want to build in Liverpool have to agree a six-point charter to ensure that workers receive decent pay and conditions and that there are good health and safety and welfare standards on sites. The
Apprentices should be given sufficient training on health and safety, including relevant legislation, and the programme should be regularly reviewed from a health and safety perspective. charter was drawn up by the construction unions and is designed to stamp out “notorious” industry practices, such as false self-employment, on any construction site within the city limits. In addition, the Liverpool City Council charter sets out that it expects major contractors who have won work in its area to offer proper Apprenticeships to the youth of the city. UCATT also supports apprentices through representation and the provision of information, advice and guidance (IAG). For example, UCATT Regional Organisers and Learning Organisers are delivering the union’s Employment Rights and Responsibilities (ERR) programme to young apprentices in colleges and workplaces across the country. This provides them with information about their rights at work, their employer’s obligations and introduces them to the world of work and the role of trade unions. And UCATT is encouraging more young women into the industry. Women make up just 11 per cent of the construction workforce and just one per cent of workers on site. The number of women working as roofers, bricklayers and glaziers is so low that it is unmeasurable. But while there has been a large increase in the number of women taking Apprenticeships over the last ten years, women still make up just 2 per cent of all construction apprenticeship starts. The union is helping to change the image and culture of the industry so that more women are attracted to a career in construction. It is challenging discrimination and helping to make the industry more family friendly, by negotiating flexible working arrangements that benefit both men and women with caring responsibilities. Meanwhile the TUC education and skills arm unionlearn and UCATT have together developed a Charter for Apprenticeships. This sets out that all apprenticeships should: ➜➜ be a job with a productive purpose ➜➜ be paid a fair rate ➜➜ ensure high quality training and clear individual development ➜➜ involve the trade union at every level of the programme ➜➜ ensure apprentices have regular access to, and support from, trade unions ➜➜ be accessible to, and achievable by all ➜➜ be part of, and contribute to, a healthy and safe environment ➜➜ include a commitment from the employer to complement the workforce, not supplement it. Photo: Paul Box/reportdigital.co.uk
Page 2 and 3: 1 Negotiating and bargaining Negoti
Page 4: Making the business case There is s
Page 7 and 8: Genuine industrial partnerships, in
Page 9: 3 Pay for apprentices Pay for appre
Page 12 and 13: Where they are present, union safet
Page 16 and 17: 6 Widening access Widening Apprenti
Page 18: Encourage applications for Apprenti
Page 21 and 22: A mentor should be someone from out
Page 23 and 24: Functional 8 skills English, maths
Page 26 and 27: 9 Frameworks & standards Frameworks
Page 28: allow apprentices to study to degre
Page 31 and 32: programmes, and can help align them
Page 33 and 34: 11 Minimum standards Government min
Page 35 and 36: 12 TUC charter TUC Apprenticeships
Page 37: 12 RMT charter RMT and Apprenticesh
Page 44 and 45: 12 Unite charter Unite and Apprenti
Page 46: jointly developed and endorsed / ag

TUC Apprenticeships pack inserts (7a)

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