Approaching 700,000 of students collected exam results today (18 August).  This included A and AS levels, level 3 vocational and technical qualifications as well as the new T’Levels – so far over 425,000 of these students have been confirmed places at University, but many others will be considering what next.

A collective effort to promoting careers in the finishes and interiors sector
Now is a vital time for employers to step up and get the message out there that the £10 billion Finishes and Interiors Sector, a sector that employs around 280,000 people is a dynamic part of construction and offers a range of opportunities.  This is our opportunity to champion that we are a credible choice, that we create the interior spaces and carry out the finishing that turns a structure into a home, hospital, cinema, hotel or school, basically we put the wow into buildings.   We need to make sure that those looking to step into the world of work know that there are opportunities to train for a trade in as an Interior Installer, Plasterer, Dryliner, Carpenter and Joiner, Ceiling Fixer etc.  We also need Designers, Building Information Modellers, Surveyors, Contract Supervisors and Project Managers as well as all the other array of roles that support the construction process, from IT through to commercial.

A new opportunity through T-Levels
One group to highlight is that 1,029 students received their T-Level results with 207 of these being in “Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction”.   This is the first batch of T-Level graduates who have completed the new 2-year courses.  These qualifications are taken after GCSEs and are broadly equivalent to 3 A Levels, but offer a more sectoral and vocational focus.  The qualification combines study with a substantial industry placement so that students gain the skills and valuable workplace experience they need to progress into a job, further study or an apprenticeship.

What should employers do
Every great career starts with a job!  FIS is recommending all members use the TalentView Construction service to promote any opportunities and jobs available through your business.  As well as providing a free job board that is being heavily promoted to school leavers, this service automatically links with the National Apprenticeship Service and ensures that young people have the best possible chance of seeing your vacancy through any career advice that they receive.  Consider also making contact with your local college or sixth forms to ensure that they know of any vacancies that you have available that could be communicated to prospective candidates and also reach out to your local Department of Work and Pensions and ensure that all of the local support is being utilised.

So whether you are looking to hunt down a T-Level graduate or are keen to take on a recent school or college lever on as a trainee, apprentice or even offer to sponsor a candidate through their degree there are a range of tools that FIS and others have made available to support a collective effort that helps to present more consistently a dynamic sector full of opportunities.

For top tips and support in promoting careers in the sector visit the Recruitment and Induction section on our website that includes links to useful resources or contact the FIS via telephone 0121 707 0077 or email info@thefis.org.

Targeting school leavers in 2023 and beyond
Effectively targeting the 700,000 annual school leavers and inspiring young people to think about a career in construction is critical.  To support you in this work the STEM Construction and Built Environment Ambassador programme provides vital training, tools and support, giving you confidence that the message is right and we are working (and learning) consistently as a sector.  Becoming an ambassador will also plug you in to the STEM network and will open up opportunities to visit schools and careers fairs.

Ambassadors play an essential role in inspiring young people to think about a career in construction through a range of activities, these include school presentations, careers talks and mentoring.  If you are interested in becoming a STEM Construction and Built Environment Ambassador, you can find out more by joining our webinar, register here .  Remember you are not alone and we are here to help.  At FIS we have members of our team who have completed the training and are actively working as ambassadors, we are maintaining a network of ambassadors and are using this network to better understand how to target our approach and to develop resources.  More on construction ambassadors here

If you are interested in offering T-Level industrial placement in 2022/2023 please email info@thefis.org and we will make the necessary introductions.

From 1 August 2022, the 20% off-the-job requirement for all apprenticeships will no longer apply.  It will be replaced by a baseline of six hours per week, irrespective of hours worked by the apprentice.  It means apprentices who work more than 30 hours per week can now spend less than 20% of their time doing off-the-job training.  The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has stated that this move, part of a package of changes to apprenticeships, ‘must not dilute the existing requirement, but provide the right level of training to every apprentice’.  This shouldn’t be a problem for the training providers and employers.  Employers have control over the training provided in the workplace.

It is an eminently sensible rule change and it should lead to a rise in apprenticeship numbers for these three reasons:

• Apprentices will be able to contribute more at a time when many businesses are still struggling to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
• It levels the playing field, meaning all apprentices will be required to engage in the same number of off the job hours, and are not penalised whether they work 30 hours a week, or 48 hours a week.
• It will be much more easily administered without the need for complex and varied calculations which have been an administrative burden for Training Providers

This now aligns to an academic training day of six hours rather than the working day of 7.5 hours, allowing Training Providers to standardise and create learning programmes for cohorts rather than individuals. It is advisable to create a working relationship with your Training Provider to ensure you know what subjects the apprentices will be covering when they are with the them.  This does not remove the employers responsibility for training apprentices in the workplace and giving them time to practice the skills they learn in training in the workplace.  If you need more information contact George on 07553 874838 or email georgeswann@thefis.org

See more news likes this

Apprenticeships experts warn that the Treasury must be more transparent on how it spends the billions returned to its coffers.  The rigid apprenticeship system is blamed for billions of skills funding going unspent by businesses and being returned to the Treasury.  More than £3.3 billion has returned to the Treasury in the last three years under the Government’s use-it-or-lose-it apprenticeship levy rules, according to new data collected by apprenticeships experts the London Progression Collaboration (LPC).

The LPC, which to date has helped transfer £10 million of unspent apprenticeship levy from large employers to support small businesses and create over 1,000 apprenticeships, says that it is not clear how the Treasury is making use of the £3.3 billion that it has received from businesses.  The apprenticeship experts warn that this lack of transparency means it is unclear whether the Treasury is using the unspent levy in a way that best supports the places most in need of levelling up, and whether it is helping create more entry-level apprenticeships, after numbers have plummeted in recent years.

The LPC argues that if the apprenticeship levy is to meet its objective of increasing employer investment in training, the Treasury needs to give employers greater control over how their funds are directed, including by increasing the 25 per cent apprenticeship levy transfer cap.  The LPC has seen at first hand the challenges the current system poses to businesses in their work helping firms navigate the complex apprenticeship system and transferring their unspent levy to small businesses.

These findings follow previous research by the LPC which shows that since 2014-15, ‘entry-level’ apprenticeships have fallen by 72 per cent in England, while apprenticeship starts amongst under-19s have fallen by 59 per cent, depriving those most at risk of in-work poverty and at the beginning of their careers the best start in life.

Commenting on this information, FIS CEO, Iain McIlwee stated:

“We need clarity here, Government increasingly expects employers to act as finishing schools, but is simply not providing adequate support for the investment that this entails.  We need a serious rethink about how education is built around careers and preparing people for the world of work, not purely academic outcomes.  The chasm between education and industry seems to be widening and the answer is not more stealth tax!”

Source IPPR