Clay and concrete building specialist Ibstock Plc is calling on the construction sector to utilise the Apprenticeship Levy to more effectively promote training in skills essential to the future of the construction sector.
A new report published by the skills and education think tank EDSK shows that millions of pounds of the government’s scheme is being spent on so-called ‘fake apprenticeship schemes’, which it describes as “re-labelled degrees or training courses for existing staff”.
A recent investigation by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) revealed the sector must attract more than 1,000 new recruits per year to meet projected growth targets over the next ten years.
“Since launching in April 2017, the Apprenticeship Levy has been a vital resource for bringing younger people into the workforce, enabling businesses to provide vocational training and real-world work experience,” said Paula Wardle, group learning & development manager at Ibstock Plc. “But for its full potential to be realised, businesses must ensure they are utilising it effectively. Apprenticeships are particularly vital for the construction sector, with a recent report by the FMB finding that 60% of senior construction specialists started their career as an apprentice. What’s more, the industry is facing up to a widening skills gap; 22% of the current workforce are over 50 and 15% are in their 60s.
“So, with upwards of 40% of the industry’s workforce heading towards retirement over the next decade, there has never been a more important time for businesses across the sector to shore-up their apprenticeship offering.”
Ibstock currently has 40 trainees on its own apprenticeship scheme, which it introduced in 2012. In December 2019, Ibstock Brick won the Gold Award for Best Apprenticeship Programme at the Training Journal Awards. Some of its current team of apprentices have also gained national recognition. These include Zak Payne, based at Ibstock Brick’s Chailey Factory, who was a finalist for Make UK Manufacturing Awards in the Engineering Apprentice of the Year Category, and Ben Lumsden, a Dual-Skilled Apprentice at the Throckley facility, who was named Advanced Apprentice of the Year at the Royal Navy Awards.
Wardle added: “We’re extremely proud both of our apprenticeship scheme and of the achievements of each and every one of our apprentices. They prove that there is a huge amount of talent ready to rise through the construction industry ranks, but the onus sits with businesses right across the supply chain to ensure that this potential is being recognised and harnessed.”
