Richard Clark, Skills and Apprenticeships for the built environment sector.

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

Unite the Union National Apprenticeship Officer (Construction)

13th June 2012

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

Can the built environment sector expand to provide greater employment?

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Current economic climate   

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UK economic growth faltering / eurozone debt crisis / impact on confidence / orders Construction output fell by 4.36 % between March 2011 and March 2012 (ONS May 2012) Construction new orders - First quarter 2012 3.6% lower than Q1 2011, housing 21% lower (public housing 41% lower, private housing 14% lower). (ONS June 2012) “..with large house builders reporting good results...this suggests that it is SMEs who are suffering.“ (Construction Products Association. June 2012)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector 

FITs, RHI, Green Deal (confidence, uncertainty)

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Construction Act fair payments in supply chain (welcome)

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954,000 16-24 year olds not in Employment, Education or Training -‘NEETs’ (DfE May 2012)

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Highest first quarter NEET figures since records began in 1992

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65,000 full time students in FE studying construction related disciplines with no apprenticeship, real mentoring, competency development and work based learning!

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector 

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The number of 16-19 years olds working in the industry has fallen by 52% since 2008 Only 12% of the sector's workforce is aged 24 and under Large increase in the percentage of older workers in the industry with nearly 20% only ten years or less off retirement There is an estimated shortfall of 25,000 qualified apprentices between 2011 and 2015 (CCATF/CSN/CITB September 2011)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Kick starting employment  60% of companies surveyed by JTL in building services engineering believe “increased banking support would help them win work and take on more apprentices” (JTL, March 2012)  Sustainable procurement (contract compliance on skills and apprenticeships)  Incentivise – AGE grant, NI dispensations, Future Jobs Fund  Growth - (Plan B = Building) “Every £1 invested in construction generates £2.84 in economic activity. 92p of every £1 spent on construction is retained in the UK” (Get Britain Building Campaign)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Environmental Technologies (low carbon delivery)

Upskilling units complement the competence gained via a sector apprenticeship (electricians, plumbers etc): Building Services Engineering     

Electrotechnical Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services Heating and Ventilation Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Electrical and Electronic Servicing

(SummitSkills, NSA for Environmental Technologies)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Environmental Technologies (low carbon delivery)        

Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic Systems Heat Pump Systems Water Harvesting and Recycling Systems Bio-fuels (including bio-mass) Anaerobic digestion Micro-hydro / Micro-wind / Micro-CHP / Fuel cells BMS (Building Management Systems)

(SummitSkills, NSA for Environmental Technologies)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Engineering Construction (low carbon delivery)

ECITB Craft Apprenticeships ď Ź

Welding, Pipefitting, Mechanical Fitting, Plating , Steel Erecting, Moving Loads, Electrical Installation

ECITB Technician Apprenticeships ď Ź

Non Destructive Testing (NDT), Design & Draughting Technician, Electrical Maintenance Technician, Mechanical Maintenance Technician, Instrument & Control Maintenance Technician

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Engineering Construction (low carbon delivery)  Gibson review / ECF – double apprentices from 2011  ACE (Craft workforce to Level 3 and support at level 2) joint initiative  2011 intake = 800 new apprentices  To meet the average forecast, annual recruitment from now needs to increase to between 1600 and 2000 apprentices per year  Approximately 6000 apprentices will be required in training at any one time in Engineering Construction (50% onsite craft and 50% off site, technical and professional apprenticeships) (ECITB Manpower Forecasts)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector The total construction process must expand 

UK due to lose 25% of energy production capacity over the next decade

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Sustainable and balanced energy – address CO2 emissions and UK energy security

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Energy Performance Building Directive / Energy Performance Certificates / Efficient buildings / Legislation / EU & Global

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

Will this be sustainable and quality employment?

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Sustainability 

Sustainable energy / Energy security

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Sustainable environment

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Sustainable procurement

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Sustainable Employment

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Sustainable skills base

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Sustainable skills and employment

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Best standards and best practice Industry recognised apprenticeships and qualifications Employer & Industry demand led “by the industry for the industry” Sustainable skills – Long term view on individuals future career, employability and mobility / Trades, core skills sets Direct Employment (PAYE, SASE) v Indirect Agency / Bogus self employment (apprenticeships, skills and mentoring deficit)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Sustainable skills and employment 

Craft identity

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Up-skilling and CPD v De-skilling

“Recognition of the importance of good industrial relations which all sides of industry need to commit to: trades will inevitably and understandably want to protect their standing” (TUC to Build up Skills, May 2012)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Quality employment and skills delivery  

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Jointly agreed schemes to ensure real quality outcomes for both the learner and employer (e.g. CAS, JIB scheme etc) Rewarding progression based Industry National Collective Agreements (e.g. CIJC, JIBs, NAECI etc) v National Minimum Wage safety net (£2.60) Employment reward, Health, Safety, Equality, Dignity, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness at work, ERR Internal employer and external independent industry dispute and appeals procedures Workplace reps – shops stewards, safety reps, learning reps (& mentors, assessors and verifiers)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

How will young people enter the sector and build careers?

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector There is clearly an appetite amongst the young!   

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Current demand v availability of jobs National Apprenticeships Service applications – Intermediate apprenticeships 10:1, Advanced Apprenticeships 15:1 Apprentice electricians – per annum approx 35,000 express interest to JTL, 18,000 candidates take aptitude test, 9-12,000 pass, the industry currently only provides 1,500-2,000 apprenticeships per year (compared to 5,000 at peak levels) BT – 15,000 applicants for 100 apprenticeship places

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector 

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More competition than for places at Oxford and Cambridge “Earn while you learn” as real alternative to HE As mentioned – 63,000 in FE undertaking construction programs (non economically viable qualifications) Pathway to Construction – CCATF / CITB-ConstructionSkills Construction apprentices top satisfaction survey with 9 out of 10 happy with their training. Employers largely satisfied with the relevance and quality of the training (Evaluation of Apprenticeships: Learners - BIS, May 2012)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

How can quality Apprenticeships be delivered?

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector What is an Apprenticeship? (TU perspective) 

Apprenticeships are a well organised and supervised method, which industries use to train people with little or no prior knowledge of a craft or trade, to become capable, qualified, experienced and competent craftspeople

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They are “earn while you learn" programs. The “on the job” portion of the training is a full time, well paid job

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Tax payer funded training costs (public purse)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector What is an Apprenticeship? (TU perspective)        

A fixed term contract of employment, plus a deed between the learner, employer and training provider, and Individual Learning Plan Gain experience using the most modern practices Work under the direction of competent Craftspersons who will teach and mentor the apprentice in the skills of the trade (work based learning) Attend college for technical instruction and underpinning knowledge Have work experience, college work and attendance assessed before each wage increase is granted.

Satisfactory progress results in automatic wage increases Have the opportunity to become a member of the Trade Union relevant to the occupation and industry Upon successful completion, the attainment of nationally recognised occupational status and grade, certification and qualification, recognised throughout the UK and beyond

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Quality apprenticeships 

Bona fide quality training providers, working with Employers, Industry, SSCs and FE to deliver a relevant skills base

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Industry developed qualifications via SSCs

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Nationally recognised occupations underpinned by robust (NOS, UKCES UK Standards)

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Sectoral National Collective Agreements (Joint ethos)

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector Quality apprenticeships 

Licence to Practice / CSCS (reward and protect occupations, and drive out cowboy operators for consumer benefit)

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Germany? – high productivity, lower hours and overtime, higher pay, workforce information, consultation and participation, guilds, sectoral collective agreements, PWD, compliance, long term & strategically joined up approach

Unionlearn Skills and Apprenticeships for the Built Environment Sector

Thank you