Richard Clark, Skills and Apprenticeships for the built environment sector

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

Unite the Union

National Apprenticeship Officer (Construction)

13th June 2012


Can the built environment sector expand to

provide greater employment?


Current economic climate

UK economic growth faltering / eurozone debt crisis / impact on confidence / orders

Construction output fell by 4.36 % between March 2011 and March 2012 (ONS May 2012)

Construction new orders - First quarter 2012 3.6% lower than Q1 2011, housing 21% lower (public housing 41% lower, private housing 14% lower). (ONS June 2012)

“..with large house builders reporting good results...this suggests that it is SMEs who are suffering.“ (Construction Products Association. June 2012)


FITs, RHI, Green Deal (confidence, uncertainty)

Construction Act fair payments in supply chain (welcome)

954,000 16-24 year olds not in Employment, Education or Training -‘NEETs’ (DfE May 2012)

Highest first quarter NEET figures since records began in 1992

65,000 full time students in FE studying construction related disciplines with no apprenticeship, real mentoring, competency development and work based learning!


The number of 16-19 years olds working in the industry has

fallen by 52% since 2008

Only 12% of the sector's workforce is aged 24 and under

Large increase in the percentage of older workers in the

industry with nearly 20% only ten years or less off retirement

There is an estimated shortfall of 25,000 qualified apprentices

between 2011 and 2015

(CCATF/CSN/CITB September 2011)


Kick starting employment

60% of companies surveyed by JTL in building services

engineering believe “increased banking support would help

them win work and take on more apprentices” (JTL, March 2012)

Sustainable procurement (contract compliance on skills and

apprenticeships)

Incentivise – AGE grant, NI dispensations, Future Jobs Fund

Growth - (Plan B = Building) “Every £1 invested in construction

generates £2.84 in economic activity. 92p of every £1 spent on

construction is retained in the UK” (Get Britain Building Campaign)


Environmental Technologies (low carbon delivery)

Upskilling units complement the competence gained via a sector apprenticeship (electricians, plumbers etc):

Building Services Engineering

Electrotechnical

Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services

Heating and Ventilation

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Electrical and Electronic Servicing (SummitSkills, NSA for Environmental Technologies)


Environmental Technologies (low carbon delivery)

Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems

Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Heat Pump Systems

Water Harvesting and Recycling Systems

Bio-fuels (including bio-mass)

Anaerobic digestion

Micro-hydro / Micro-wind / Micro-CHP / Fuel cells

BMS (Building Management Systems)

(SummitSkills, NSA for Environmental Technologies)


Engineering Construction (low carbon delivery)

ECITB Craft Apprenticeships

Welding, Pipefitting, Mechanical Fitting, Plating , Steel Erecting, Moving Loads, Electrical Installation

ECITB Technician Apprenticeships

Non Destructive Testing (NDT), Design & Draughting Technician, Electrical Maintenance Technician, Mechanical Maintenance Technician, Instrument & Control Maintenance Technician


Engineering Construction (low carbon delivery)

Gibson review / ECF – double apprentices from 2011

ACE (Craft workforce to Level 3 and support at level 2) joint initiative

2011 intake = 800 new apprentices

To meet the average forecast, annual recruitment from now needs to increase to between 1600 and 2000 apprentices per year

Approximately 6000 apprentices will be required in training at any one time in Engineering Construction (50% onsite craft and 50% off site, technical and professional apprenticeships)

(ECITB Manpower Forecasts)


The total construction process must expand

UK due to lose 25% of energy production capacity over the next decade

Sustainable and balanced energy – address CO2 emissions and UK energy security

Energy Performance Building Directive / Energy Performance Certificates / Efficient buildings / Legislation / EU & Global


Will this be sustainable and

quality employment?


Sustainability

Sustainable energy / Energy security

Sustainable environment

Sustainable procurement

Sustainable Employment

Sustainable skills base


Sustainable skills and employment

Best standards and best practice

Industry recognised apprenticeships and qualifications

Employer & Industry demand led “by the industry for the industry”

Sustainable skills – Long term view on individuals future career, employability and mobility / Trades, core skills sets

Direct Employment (PAYE, SASE) v Indirect Agency / Bogus self employment (apprenticeships, skills and mentoring deficit)


Sustainable skills and employment

Craft identity

Up-skilling and CPD v De-skilling

“Recognition of the importance of good industrial relations

which all sides of industry need to commit to: trades will

inevitably and understandably want to protect their standing”

(TUC to Build up Skills, May 2012)


Quality employment and skills delivery

Jointly agreed schemes to ensure real quality outcomes for both the learner and employer (e.g. CAS, JIB scheme etc)

Rewarding progression based Industry National Collective Agreements (e.g. CIJC, JIBs, NAECI etc) v National Minimum Wage safety net (£2.60)

Employment reward, Health, Safety, Equality, Dignity, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness at work, ERR

Internal employer and external independent industry dispute and appeals procedures

Workplace reps – shops stewards, safety reps,

learning reps (& mentors, assessors and verifiers)


How will young people enter the sector

and build careers?


There is clearly an appetite amongst the young!

Current demand v availability of jobs

National Apprenticeships Service applications – Intermediate

apprenticeships 10:1, Advanced Apprenticeships 15:1

Apprentice electricians – per annum approx 35,000 express

interest to JTL, 18,000 candidates take aptitude test, 9-12,000

pass, the industry currently only provides 1,500-2,000

apprenticeships per year (compared to 5,000 at peak levels)

BT – 15,000 applicants for 100 apprenticeship places


More competition than for places at Oxford and Cambridge

“Earn while you learn” as real alternative to HE

As mentioned – 63,000 in FE undertaking construction programs (non economically viable qualifications)

Pathway to Construction – CCATF / CITB-ConstructionSkills

Construction apprentices top satisfaction survey with 9 out of 10 happy with their training. Employers largely satisfied with the

relevance and quality of the training (Evaluation of Apprenticeships: Learners - BIS, May 2012)


How can quality Apprenticeships

be delivered?


What is an Apprenticeship? (TU perspective)

Apprenticeships are a well organised and supervised method,

which industries use to train people with little or no prior

knowledge of a craft or trade, to become capable, qualified,

experienced and competent craftspeople

They are “earn while you learn" programs. The “on the job”

portion of the training is a full time, well paid job

Tax payer funded training costs (public purse)


What is an Apprenticeship? (TU perspective)

A fixed term contract of employment, plus a deed between the learner, employer and training provider, and Individual Learning Plan

Gain experience using the most modern practices

Work under the direction of competent Craftspersons who will teach and mentor the apprentice in the skills of the trade (work based learning)

Attend college for technical instruction and underpinning knowledge

Have work experience, college work and attendance assessed before each wage increase is granted.

Satisfactory progress results in automatic wage increases

Have the opportunity to become a member of the Trade Union relevant to the occupation and industry

Upon successful completion, the attainment of nationally recognised occupational status and grade, certification and qualification, recognised throughout the UK and beyond


Quality apprenticeships

Bona fide quality training providers, working with Employers, Industry, SSCs and FE to deliver a relevant skills base

Industry developed qualifications via SSCs

Nationally recognised occupations underpinned by robust (NOS, UKCES UK Standards)

Sectoral National Collective Agreements (Joint ethos)


Quality apprenticeships

Licence to Practice / CSCS (reward and protect occupations,

and drive out cowboy operators for consumer benefit)

Germany? – high productivity, lower hours and overtime, higher

pay, workforce information, consultation and participation,

guilds, sectoral collective agreements, PWD, compliance,

long term & strategically joined up approach


Thank you

Documents

Richard Clark, Skills and Apprenticeships for the built environment sector