Build Magazine April 2016

Build Magazine 10 a job at the end. As a result, it says tens of thousands of students are steered onto popular courses they can easily pass but which are unlikely to help them find employment. Given the apparent job surplus, you might believe it’s easy for young people to get into the plumbing industry. However, this certainly isn’t the case. WaterSafe regularly receives emails from young people struggling to get into the industry through an apprenticeship. One person in particular to have experienced the difficulty of getting work in the plumbing industry first-hand is Megan Campbell. Megan, a 23 year-old from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, has spent the last year applying for apprentice- ships to get her lucky break into the plumbing industry. Megan comments: “I’ve wanted to get into the plumbing industry for a while now and I’ve been searching for an employer to begin a mechanical engineering or plumbing appren- ticeship with West Lancashire College with great difficulty. “To date, I have not yet found a plumbing company willing to take on as an apprentice, despite being on the search for nearly twelve months. “I’ve had a mix of feedback – some say they don’t have enough work or enough money to take on an apprentice whereas others say they’re far too busy to invest time in my development. “Another issue for me is my age. I’m 23 years old but the government funding to support the training costs stops at 24 so this will make it even more difficult for me if I don’t get an apprenticeship now. “It’s frustrating as I know I’m perfectly capable for the job and I’m so eager to get into the industry but equally I realise that it’s difficult for some plumbing businesses who don’t have the time or money to take on people like me.” In the main, it still seems the biggest barriers to plumbing businesses taking on apprentices are time and money. This might be completely understandable for plumbers who are self-em- ployed or those who operate as ‘one-man- bands’, but for those slightly bigger companies with more resources, perhaps it’s time to rethink the apprentice argument? As with most business cases, having an apprentice may cost more initially in terms of time and expense, – despite the apprentice minimum wage of just £2.68 – however in the long-term it can pay dividends. As well as potentially benefiting from higher productivity, quality of work, staff retention and employee satisfaction, apprenticeships increase a business’s competitive edge as a result of a highly-skilled workforce from the ground up. Apprentices also help to promote a new way of thinking to your business while providing a strong foundation to your staff base. In turn, this would help your company demonstrate a commitment to developing a sustainable workforce. Following years of stagnation, it is understand- able that many plumbers may be extremely cautious about investing in an apprentice. However, with the economy beginning to pick up, no business can afford to rest on their laurels. What’s more, in an industry where it is the people that make and front the business on a day-to-day basis, a fresh new face may be just the business boost you need. Thus, as the economy begins to pick up and workloads increase, maybe it’s time to prepare by expanding your workforce and calling in an apprentice? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ ukces-employer-skills-survey-2015-supple- mentary-documents Inside the Industry