Sorry, the publication can not be displayed.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Thursday, November 13, 2008 www.telegraph.co.uk/job A 9 The Daily Telegraph APPRENTICESHIPS SPECIAL TALKBACK THAMES LEADING THE WAY FORWARD C LEARNING ON THE JOB APPRENTICESHIPS ARE BACK IN FASHION, AND TODAY THERE’S A SURPRISINGLY WIDE RANGE OF CAREER PATHS TO CHOOSE FROM, SAYS LISA GREAVES In the firing line: This year’s The Apprentice candidates are briefed about apprenticeships as a career choice. John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, says: “By 2013 all suitably qualified young people will be given the right to an apprenticeship. “In the coming years we will see apprenticeships sitting alongside university as a great option for young people who want the best jobs. We intend to have a significant growth in apprenticeships for older learners as well.” By April 2009, a new National Apprenticeship Service will act as a one-stop shop for employers, making it easier for them to offer apprenticeships by helping them with funding and the necessary paperwork. BAE Systems recruits around 300 apprentices each year for its global defence and aerospace business. Richard Hamer, the company’s education and graduate recruitment director, says: “Our apprentices complete their training with not only excellent work-related skills, but a real understanding of our company and its culture.” Barry Sewards, chairman of GF Tomlinson Group Ltd, a Midlands-based firm of building, civil engineering and construction contractors, now plans to increase the company’s technical and trade apprenticeships by 50 per cent, from 48 to 72. “Our company was established in 1892 and has always had — and will always have — apprentices. They are vital to help a company maintain its identity and ethos, and to create a solid platform for progressive employment,” he says. “The new focus on increasing apprenticeships will boost standards of training in the construction industry and do much to address skills shortages.” Secretary of State Denham agrees that increasing the number of skilled workers will help speed the UK’s economic recovery in the wake of the global credit crunch: “Britain needs to develop the skills of its workforce to the fullest extent, and apprenticeships have a key role to play in all sectors.” T ACADEMY AWARDS A DEDICATED SKILLS CENTRE IN WALES HAS WON PLAUDITS FOR ITS FORWARD-THINKING APPROACH TO TRAINING. BY CHRIS MOSS W The Academy was devised in response to the national skills shortage everything from personal issues to finding the right mentor, and even opening a bank account. Evans says that, when it comes to career development, the emphasis at Connaught is firmly on long-term jobs. “Some of our proudest successes are in seeing our young people complete their apprenticeships and flourish, continually developing as the organisation grows. They also ‘‘ hen it comes to training apprentices, Connaught Academy in Caerphilly could be a blueprint for the future. Set up in 2007, the Academy, which is owned by Connaught plc, one of the largest social housing management companies in the UK, is the largest skills centre in Wales. It trains around 900 people each year in traditional trades, such as plumbing, while investing in newer skills, such as the installation of renewable energy systems. The Academy was originally devised in response to the national skills shortage, and as a centre where the company could train up its own people. Connaught plc now employs more than 8,000 staff and has 115 offices across the UK. Despite its rapid growth since opening for business as a concrete repair specialist in 1982, Connaught has always focused on apprenticeships and key skills. Huw Evans, a workforce development manager at the company, says: “We see apprenticeships as being intrinsic to the long-term future of our business and we currently have more than 200 apprentices. These apprentices can opt for trade-based training skills, such as plumbing and gas engineering, or role-based training such as administration and finance.” In-house learning was developed at the Connaught Academy, where development teams assist students with ‘‘ have more understanding of the standards and ethos of the company and can share their experiences with their peers and colleagues.” Evans cites engineer Kirsty Hollinshead as a prime example of this: she won the Wales Practical Learner of the Year award from The Edge Foundation (a charitable education trust) in 2007 for her mentoring abilities and “for being a role model for females wishing to enter the engineering industry”. “The Academy has also won the National CORGI award for Supporters of Women in Plumbing and achieved top grading status from City & Guilds,” he adds. One of Connaught’s more challenging specialisms is MOD resettlement: easing soldiers into civilian life after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The initial contact takes place while individuals are still serving with the Forces. Evans says: “This allows us to implement a specific learning and development plan. Qualifications are delivered either through the Connaught Academy or via our partners. Our mentoring system involves ex-forces people working alongside experienced staff in the workplace.” Evans, like many of Connaught’s senior training staff, started as an apprentice himself. He sees the success of the Academy as a personal mission: “I would want these opportunities to be given to others. I would hope that we can leave a lasting legacy in the communities and areas that we work in by giving tangible long-term benefits to people.” MILES BLACK, 22, A HEATING ENGINEER, TOOK AN APPRENTICESHIP IN PLUMBING AT THE CONNAUGHT ACADEMY, AS WELL AS COURSES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, CORGI REGISTRATION, AND HEALTH AND SAFETY. “I left school with no qualifications and wasn’t sure what route to take in life. I had a series of short-term jobs but lacked the long-term direction that the apprenticeship scheme seemed to offer. I was so pleased when they let me do an apprenticeship in plumbing. As an apprentice my role was to listen and learn while studying at the Academy and at my workplace. I qualified this year and I am really pleased with my achievement. I am now a team leader of a central heating team, and my responsibilities include installing boilers, pipe work, radiators and different systems and components. My key duties are to ensure the installation and work carried out in tenants’ homes is completed smoothly and to a very high standard. Throughout my apprenticeship I was supported by the Academy. Next year I am going to start a mentoring course and apply to work or support Connaught in helping other youngsters achieve their ambitions. I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone. But you have to be dedicated and really want to do it.” @ JOBS ONLINE: jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ careers-insider ‘‘ he lives of apprentices have come a long way since the Middle Ages. Back then, young trade trainees were literally “indentured” — bound to serve a master, often for many years. Most were forced to board with their masters and adhere to strict rules, which included abstaining from drink and completing many household chores. Few received wages. It’s a far cry from what working as an apprentice entails today. For a start, opportunities for on-the-job training are no longer limited to traditional trades. Apprentices can sign up to learn a wide range of skills, from sound engineering and film production to events promotion and landscape gardening — a factor clearly illustrated by the hit BBC television show, The Apprentice. This year, up to nine million viewers tuned in to watch business mogul Sir Alan Sugar putting his own would-be apprentices through their paces, and over 20,000 people applied to be one of them. Structured training programmes mean that today’s apprentices gain valuable hands-on experience with experts in their chosen profession while working towards formal qualifications. Today’s apprentices can also be any age, and hail from varying backgrounds. They can also expect to be paid a reasonable wage for their efforts. Altogether, apprenticeship packages are now more attractive than they used to be and the number of people starting private and public sector apprenticeships has more than doubled from 75,000 in 1997 to 184,000 in 2007, according to the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills. Now, the idea of apprenticeships and on-the-job learning is back in fashion, and the government is keen to modernise the age-old tradition with a range of practical schemes and incentives. According to an independent survey conducted on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council, employers are also keen on the idea, with a sizeable number agreeing that taking on apprentices improves their company’s productivity and gives them a more competitive edge. Two-thirds said that they would struggle to find trained staff without their apprenticeship programmes, highlighting the key role today’s apprentices have in helping to overcome skills shortages. As the government moves away Sir Alan Sugar offers the most sought-after apprenticeship in the land from its previous mantra of “university for all”, Gordon Brown’s aim is for one in five of young people to undertake an apprenticeship in the next decade. To that effect, it is currently working on the draft Apprenticeships Bill, which will eventually form part of an Education and Skills Bill, to be introduced later this year. Its aim is to establish apprenticeships as a mainstream career option on a par with college or university, by insisting that they are of a uniform high quality and follow specific guidelines. The Bill also sets out to ensure that schools inform young people ‘‘ The number of people starting private and public sector trainee schemes has doubled since 1997 @ JOBS ONLINE: jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ careers-insider hampioning apprenticeships in business is the role of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network. The network, made up of senior business leaders, was launched in April 2006 at the behest of Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Network spokesman Rod Kenyon OBE, says: “We have just completed research into 102 companies in sectors from engineering to hospitality, construction, retail, social care and business administration. “Our findings showed the benefits companies gained from having apprentices — from increased productivity and greater staff retention, to better profitability and workforce motivatation. “BT, for example, calculated an annual net profit of more than £1,300 per apprentice. Their apprentices also generated a high rate of productivity and the highest level of employment satisfaction. “The paybacks are the same whether it’s a multinational, national or a small business with just three employees,” says Kenyon. Influential members of the network include Nigel Whitehead, Group Managing Director, Military Air Solutions, BAE Systems plc; Richard Lambert, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); and Hayley Tatum, UK Operations Personnel Director at Tesco. Members are asked to help promote apprenticeships within their own organisations as well as providing advice to other employers interested in setting up schemes of their own. They also participate in seminars and workshops. Lord Tony Young of Norwood Green, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Skills and Apprenticeships, says: “A company is two and a half times more likely to succeed with fully skilled staff than those without. “Supporting employers’ apprenticeship schemes in the current economic climate is vital to business success.” Community spirit: the Connaught Academy equips apprentices with life skills, as well as practical training WARREN LAUGHARNE, 23, AN EX-FORCES EMPLOYEE, STUDIED AT THE CONNAUGHT ACADEMY TO BECOME A SERVICE ENGINEER. HE HAS COMPLETED THE GAS UTILISATION PROGRAMME, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, OIL HEATING AND WATER REGULATIONS COURSES, AMONG OTHERS. “Having spent six and a half years in the Army as a telecommunications operator I left the Forces wanting a completely new start. The experience I have gained from the Academy has been invaluable. Connaught shares the Army’s core values of loyalty, the need to adopt a ‘can-do’ attitude and diligence. The opportunities are also diverse. As with my training in the Forces, what I learnt was highly technical. However, the experience of the people I was mentored by and the tutors made my studies easy to absorb and helped me put all the things I was learning into practice. I really want to build on the start I have made. I am already booked on a number of other programmes in the next year. I also know Connaught runs its own Institute of Leadership and Management programme, which my supervisor has done, and I am looking forward in the next few years to progressing down this route and gaining management qualifications.” WHY APPRENTICESHIPS ARE BACK IN FASHION You’re hired! Extra special THE TRAINING ACADEMY THAT OFFERS A WHOLE LOT MORE sarah hanson Apprenticeships Thursday, November 13, 2008 careers focus The Daily Telegraph jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ca in association with Produced by Telegraph Create Special R THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Thursday, November 13, 2008 www.telegraph.co.uk/job A 9 The Daily Telegraph APPRENTICESHIPS SPECIAL TALKBACK THAMES LEADING THE WAY FORWARD C LEARNING ON THE JOB APPRENTICESHIPS ARE BACK IN FASHION, AND TODAY THERE’S A SURPRISINGLY WIDE RANGE OF CAREER PATHS TO CHOOSE F A 10 www.telegraph.co.uk/job Thursday, November 13, 2008 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH APPRENTICESHIPS SPECIAL The Daily Telegraph TOP NOTCH B efore the First World War, career guidance had a bias towards stereotyopes. Certain jobs were male jobs, others female,” says Richard Longson, president of The