Candidate Success from our Minstrell SBWA

The Minstrell Training Team has been committed to providing pathways into long term sustainable employment for members of the local community across the UK. The way in which they are doing this is by partnering with the DWP and leading construction companies to deliver Sector Based Work Academies.

A Sector Based Work Academy is a two week intensive training course that combines employability training and a range of construction qualifications in order to encourage unemployed people into work within the construction industry. Following the successful completion of the course, candidates are then invited to interview for a real position working with one of the UK’s leading construction companies. Our previous partners include Laing O’Rourke, ISG, bmJV (Bam Nutall, Morgan Sindall Joint Venture) Taurus as well as many others…

Craig Foy (28) one of our recent graduates from Manchester says about the course:

My name is Craig and until January 2018 I had always been in employment. All that was to change when a temp job I was working on ended prematurely as they are want to do. I had never been in that situation before; I had been working since I was 16, working at a supermarket for almost nine years and then working in various office jobs thereafter, learning how to use Word appliances such as Excel and PowerPoint and it was a massive boost to my confidence and skills, which is something I vehemently enjoyed.

It was here I developed a bug for learning; I believe that you grow as you learn more. You develop new skills, approaches and ways of thinking.

And that was where Minstrell came in.

I was advised by my job coach to attend an open day that Minstrell was running. I had never given construction a thought to be honest but I am glad I did. The three week training course was a really good time for me and I learned all my Level 1 Certificates and a CSCS Card. Now I am in full time employment and excited once again about what the future may hold.

Thanks to Minstrell, the sky is quite literally the limit…

If you are over 19, claiming benefits and looking to gain your CSCS card contact us now on 03330 230 056 / Option 3 or email info@minstrelltraining.com

The Value of Apprenticeships in the Construction Industry

Concern has been raised by construction industry experts about a shortage of skilled workers. It was revealed by City & Guilds that 87% of employers last year were struggling to get hold of the necessary number of skilled workers. Official figures, revealed in Construction News, shows that 12.6% of the UK’s construction workers aren’t British-born, with 5.7% originating from the EU. This rises considerably in London to 60%. Rather concerning is the fact that three in 10 British-born construction workers are older than 50 years old and edging towards retirement.

One way to combat this, according to experts, is to have more apprentices in the industry. It’s thought that apprenticeships could be crucial, especially following Brexit.

Nation Apprenticeship Week was at the beginning of March, and following a rise in publicity, employers have been encouraged to think about the future of their workforces — could apprentices fill the employee shortage?

Work platforms specialists, Niftylift, investigates further:

Construction, Engineering and Manufacturing, and Planning and the Built Environment are within the top five sectors for apprenticeship starts. In the 2016/17 academic year, the Engineering and Manufacturing sector had 74,000 new starts, while there were 21,000 in the Construction sector.

Redrow, a leading UK housebuilder, released its second annual research report which revealed that, thanks to a positive shift in attitudes and the perception of construction, the apprenticeship pathway has improved, with a 14% increase in young people considering a career in the sector.

Karen Jones, Redrow’s Group HR Director, spoke on the report, saying:

“This year’s results illustrate that apprenticeships and careers in construction are being viewed in a more positive light.

“Apprenticeships are a way of futureproofing the UK workforce, particularly in sectors where there is a skills shortage, such as construction, so it is pleasing to see that progress is being made.”

Success for apprenticeships is anticipated to keep growing as the new apprenticeship levy that was introduced last year brings with it a new way of funding apprenticeship programmes.

Whilst some employers have snubbed the new levy as just being ‘another tax’, both large and small employers can benefit from the fund, meaning that 90% of apprenticeship training costs are funded by the government.

Furthermore, employers within the construction sector can use up to 10% of the funding to train employees across the full supply chain — something not to be snubbed with the current shortage in skilled workers.

UK Construction Media claims that apprenticeships are indeed delivering the goods — as a huge 86% of employers say that apprenticeships are helping them develop skills relevant to their organisation, and 78% believe they help improve productivity.

Chris Wood, CEO of Develop Training, is also confident that the apprenticeship programme is working:

“Working with some of the UK’s largest utility firms, our success rates have been very high. We and our customers have no doubt that, managed well, apprenticeships do work.”

He continued:

“New initiatives such as Trailblazer Apprenticeships and the Apprenticeship Levy have raised awareness across the UK. Even so, and despite huge skills shortages, many employers are still only scratching the surface of what they could be doing to use apprenticeships to attract new people to join the industry and improve the skills of existing employees.”

It’s clear that apprenticeships could hold the key to success in the future by helping to fulfil the demand in the construction industry. Downing Street has committed itself to creating three million new apprenticeships by 2020.

The construction industry could be on the receiving end of a large chunk of those programmes, which will be an opportunity to deliver a new generation of highly skilled workers — something that the industry is experiencing a lack of right now.

In fact, the Director of the National Apprentice Service, Sue Husband, predicts that 2018 will be crucial for programmes. As more opportunities become available, now could be the time to cut yourself a slice of the apprenticeship programme success — and secure your future workforce now.

Original Post

The Construction Skill Gap: What Can We Do to Help?

Skills shortages continue to challenge our construction industry, holding back important building work just at the time when the country needs more homes and infrastructure.

So what needs to change in order to recruit young, diverse people to the industry?

Is it too hot to work? HSE advice on Temperature in the Workplace

During the summer months temperatures often rise across the country, during this time you should remember what your rights are and what reasonable Health and Safety precautions you must take.

All you need to know about the Construction Skills Certification Scheme

If you want to work in construction, you’re going to need a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card. A CSCS card provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the required training and qualifications for the type of work they carry out.