August 2020

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The Apex: Skills IssuesSKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS & RECOVERYJackie Biswell, Managing Director of Apex Roofing, explains why vocational qualificationsare so important to the construction sector and discusses the current barriers to adoptionof vocational training programmes for some businesses in construction.On the 14th July, central governmentannounced a new package of measuresfor higher technical education which willbuild on its previous efforts to transform technicaland vocational education in Britain.Designed to help plug the skills gap, thesemeasures are welcomed by the construction sectorwhich has long suffered from a skills shortage.These reforms build on work already underwayincluding the introduction of new T-Levels fromSeptember, working with employers to create morehigh quality apprenticeship opportunities andestablishing a network of Institutes of Technology.These are expected to play a key part in helping torebuild the economy post-COVID-19, boostingaccess to technical education for many youngpeople and creating the skilled workforce of thefuture.T-Level trade-off?But do the new measures threaten to overshadowestablished apprenticeships? There is a school ofthought that T-Levels, especially, may impact thenumber of apprenticeships that employers offer.Causing a trade-off situation between T-Levelplacements and apprenticeships.There is some merit to this, as within smallerorganisations there may be a lack of willingness tooffer T-Level placements and continue with thesame level of apprenticeship placements, especiallyduring a recession.Yet it could also be argued that offering a widerrange of vocational sectors can only be a good thing.One of the most notable elements of the newmeasures is that it puts employers in the drivingseat, ensuring that the courses on offer meet theirneeds.Vocational schemes, such as apprenticeships, havein the past been criticised for notdelivering the candidates and theskills needed for specific sectors.These new measures should changethis.Offering young people more options when itcomes to higher education is essential to makingsure that our skilled sectors, such as roofing, retainkey skills and have a steady intake of young talent.But increased competition for placements withemployers requires closer consideration of studentand employer conduct. It can be said that in theconstruction sector particularly, ‘talent stealing’ ofnewly qualified apprentices is a prevalent issue.One company invests in training up the apprenticesand then when they are qualified, a competitoroffers them a more attractive salary or benefitspackage to leave their current employer.Any business that has had this happen to them willknow that it makes you question whether theinvestment of time and resources in training theseyoung people is worth it if they are going to taketheir skills elsewhere.I believe that as T-levels are going to be phased inover the next two years, there needs to be someconsideration by central government to stop thisfrom happening.We need some sort of collaborative code ofconduct within each sector for vocationaleducation programmes that encourages loyaltyamong employers and students. By encouragingstudents to stay with the company that trainedthem for a set period of time, the student isguaranteed job security following qualification andthe businesses that trained them benefits from theirskills. This may not be practical, but I feel verystrongly that some consideration for the issue isLeft: Jackie Biswell, Apex Roofing.warranted. It is one of the key barriersin our sector to participating withvocational training schemes. And ifcompanies like ours don’t want to takeon vocational students because of thisissue, it widens the skills gap even further.Guidance for employers and studentsWe’d also like to see training providers workingmore closely with the employers to guide studentsthrough the training process. One thing that hasbeen greatly lacking in the current apprenticeshipschemes is training providers that communicatewell with employers and offer guidance not just tothe student, but to the employer too about how tohelp candidates learn what is required for them todo well.In Apex’s experience, it has been left to thecandidate to bridge the communication gapbetween employer and course which is less thanideal, and we have often had to step in andproactively update them so that the pressure istaken off of the student. I hope that this new focuson employer-led standards should serve to changeboth issues.There is no doubt that higher technicalqualifications will provide a natural progressionroute for young people taking new T-Levels from2020, or A Levels, and adults looking to upskill orretrain, enabling them to take the next step upand gain higher technical skills in key subjectslike STEM, something which can only help thiscountry out of the current skills crisis.Contact Apex Roofing01502 537129www.apexroofinguk.com@ApexAnglia14 TC AUGUST 2020
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August 2020

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