Government Training Commitment welcomed but concerns remain

Commentating on the Government’s plans to increase the number of training and apprenticeships Alan Ritchie, general secretary of construction union, UCATT, said: “The construction industry is crying out for skilled workers, the skills gap is widening by the day. It is not sufficient to offer substandard courses, which only give workers a fraction of the skills they need. Apprenticeship courses need to be of high quality and ensure that workers have skills for life.”

The construction industry needs to recruit 87,000 new workers every year, in order to replace those retiring and to meet additional demand. In recent years over 50,000 young people have applied for 3-year construction apprenticeships. This year only 7,000 places were found, a drop of 26 per cent on the already chronically low figure of 9,500 the previous year.

Those undertaking craft apprenticeships undertake a three-year course and have the opportunity to achieve a NVQ level 3 (the equivalent of 2 A levels). Apprentices work on site for four days a week with one day in college. Companies training a craft apprenticeship can apply for a £9,000 grant to assist with the costs.

Employers are increasingly unwilling to offer apprenticeships for a variety of reasons. The bogus self-employment culture in the construction industry means that companies do not employ anyone to train apprentices.

To plug the skills gap companies are recruiting migrant labour from Eastern Europe. There is a growing belief that the number of eastern European workers will rapidly decrease once other EU countries allow them to work more freely and their domestic economies strengthen.

UCATT are concerned about a growing push for programme led apprentices. Those taking a PLA spend two years in college. At the end of the period they seek an employer and complete their NVQ’a over a 9-12 month period. Unlike the craft apprenticeship they can only achieve NVQ level 2. If they cannot find an employer to take then on after completing their college courses, they cannot get their NVQs and their course becomes virtually worthless.

Mr Ritchie added: “All the evidence shows that the best vocational training is work based. If the Government want to genuinely improve skills, then they must ensure that this is to a minimum of NVQ level 3, to ensure workers can reach their true potential.”