SIG ROOFING IN FOCUS
Apprenticeships: the solution
to the skills shortage?
With the construction industry in the grip of a critical skills shortage, productivity is at an all-time low, whilst
the cost of labour skyrockets. In order to bridge the skills gap, Richard Kendrick, marketing manager at SIG
Roofing, discusses the advantages of taking on apprentices for developing talent that is here to stay
It is a simple supply and demand issue:
after the 2008 financial crash, the
construction industry all but came to
a halt, with many of its most skilled
workers forced out of a job, and new
talent no longer coming up through the
ranks. However, high rates of growth
in more recent years, along with the
government’s ambitious construction and
housebuilding targets for a post-Brexit
Britain, mean we now face a different
kind of crisis: there are not enough people
to get the job done. Of course, this has led
to a huge spike in the cost of labour, not
least within the roofing industry.
In order to re-stabilise and protect
the industry, it is crucial to bring in new
highly skilled workers who will carry
out quality work over a lengthy
career. An obvious way for
contractors to achieve this is by
taking on apprentices: fresh talent
who, over time, can be trained
up to the highest standard,
strengthening and protecting
what is currently a very vulnerable
workforce.
With increasing doubts over the
stability of the industry, attracting
young people into construction is
proving harder than ever. Not only that,
but with the rate of work only set to
rise, contractors are doubting whether
they have the time or money to invest
in training fresh talent; for many, the
funds are better spent on delivery costs
and other legislative requirements.
Taking on an apprentice: all
you need to know
For contractors interested in taking on
an apprentice, it is important to follow
the official government protocol in
order to receive the correct funding and
nationally recognised accreditation.
An apprentice can be anyone aged 16
or over, whether they are a current
employee or a brand-new recruit.
They must be paid at least the national
minimum wage (for an apprentice this
is £3.70 per hour), and are entitled to the
same employment rights as other fulltime
employees of the same or similar
grade, including paid holidays, sick pay
and any other staff benefits.
Crucially, an apprentice must spend
a percentage of their time studying
during their working week,
usually at a college. They must
also spend time working with
experienced staff, learning jobspecific
skills that will equip them to
carry out the job themselves at the end
of the scheme. An apprenticeship must
last a minimum of 12 months and can
last up to five years if necessary.
Apprentices must work towards an
apprenticeship standard or framework,
as approved by the government,
supplied by an approved training
provider. Finding an apprentice
and a relevant training provider is a
straightforward process that can be
done through the government website
(https://www.gov.uk/take-on-anapprentice).
The next step is finding out what
funding will be available for the
chosen apprenticeship. As part of the
government’s pledge to back three
million new apprenticeships by 2020,
all official government apprenticeship
schemes are eligible to funding.
As of April 2017, the government
introduced an apprenticeship levy for
businesses with a pay bill of over £3
million each year, so that taxpayers
no longer fund apprenticeships. For
those subject to the levy, they pay 0.5%
of their annual wage bill via the PAYE
scheme. All levy contributions are
paid into an employer’s online digital
apprenticeship service account, with
the government also contributing a
10% top-up. This means that for every
£1 paid in by a business, an additional
£0.10 is added to the fund. Those who
do not pay the levy also have access to
the digital apprenticeship service, and
by 2020, all employers will be able to
use the service to pay for the training
and assessment for all apprentices.
Once the scheme has been selected
and a price and payment schedule has
been agreed with the relevant training
provider, the employer must then
advertise their scheme to apprentices
seeking work. The training provider,
who will advertise the scheme through
the ‘find an apprenticeship’ service
available from the government, will
usually handle this.
It may seem a daunting prospect
committing time, money and resources
to bring on an apprentice, but the
benefits in the long-term far outweigh
the negatives.
In order for the construction
industry to continue to grow and thrive,
fresh talent is vital, and what better way
than imparting your years of wisdom to
ensure the job is done right.
w www.sigroofing.co.uk
Richard
Kendrick,
marketing
manager at
SIG Roofing
14 www.rcimag.co.uk November 2018
/www.sigroofing.co.uk
/www.rcimag.co.uk
