Apprenticeships can have hard headed business benefits
Since NIACE responded to the Richard Review into the Future of Apprenticeships, I’ve been reflecting on what I learned from listening to apprentices speak about their experiences of work-based training. I found the whole process very moving and inspiring. There are some real examples of everyday heroism revealed in these stories.
We interviewed 10 apprentices who generously gave up their time to help us capture real experiences to inform our thinking about Apprenticeships. The apprentices were excited about the opportunity to tell their stories and it was inspiring to hear about their working lives and what they made of training at work.
One individual’s story really stood out for me. Kerrie is a young woman who originally wanted to join the RAF. Unfortunately, she failed her medical, and on the eve of her 18th birthday (with the threat of a change in funding entitlement), Kerrie felt under pressure to find an alternative route quickly. Her Dad and Granddad were both electricians by trade, and Kerrie had been interested in training as an electrician since she had been a little girl. Despite her Dad’s warning that it would be very tough for a woman to get on in his trade, Kerrie went in search of an employer who would take her on as an apprentice.
The first obstacle Kerrie had to overcome was finding an employer who would offer her a job with an Apprenticeship attached. She initially found it difficult to persuade an employer to take her on, saying “they always had the same excuse ‘we’re not taking anyone on at the moment due to the economy,’ but I knew it was really that they didn’t want to take on a woman.”
Kerrie never gave up, though. Finally, her persistence paid off, and she found an employer who was prepared to offer her a job with Apprenticeship training to become a fully qualified electrician. Kerrie’s progress through her Apprenticeship wasn’t always smooth. She had to work hard to win the respect of her colleagues, and she was faced with a range of negative attitudes from people in other companies. Although she excelled at the academic side of the apprenticeship, Kerrie encountered difficulties with elements of the training, which she overcame with support from her tutors and fellow apprentices.
Just after completing the first year of her two year Apprenticeship, Kerrie also fell pregnant, but once again her employer and colleagues couldn’t have been more supportive. Now Kerrie is 23, and having successfully completed her apprenticeship, she is well respected by her peers. She has a permanent job with the company, which has secured new business from care homes and other organisations working with older people, now that it employs a fully qualified female electrician. As a result of Kerrie’s courageous trail blazing, her company has taken on a second female employee.
Kerrie’s story demonstrates the fortitude and energy that people bring to their working lives. It clearly shows that there are hard headed business benefits to employing a wider range of people for job roles. By taking the plunge, Kerrie’s employer is now benefiting from winning new contracts and has entered new business sectors. I think that this example provides a model that can be replicated all over the country. Small companies that embrace change enthusiastically and are willing to invest in the skills of their workers will help to lift the economy and avoid the threat of a triple dip recession.
NIACE was able to identify the 10 apprentices who we interviewed, because they had been nominated for the Apprentice of the Year Award 2012, as part of our Adult Learners’ Week. Nominations are now open for the 2013 Adult Learners’ Week Awards, including a special category to recognise Learning for Work. Nominations close 5pm on Thursday 13December 2012. Who knows, as a result of your nomination, NIACE may be highlighting the story of an adult learner or a provider that you know.
