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New report identifies the measures needed to improve the provision of built environment apprenticeships
Key stakeholders from industry and professional institutions must do more to engage with the development of built environment apprenticeships, according to a new report.
Enabling Successful Built Environment Apprenticeships identifies and examines the measures needed to enhance the retention, continuation and success of built environment apprenticeships, especially at higher technical and professional levels.
The report – published by University College of Estate Management (UCEM) in partnership with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) – captures discussions from UCEM’s inaugural Inspire event.
Representatives from employers and academia were joined at the event by experts from professional and statutory regulatory bodies to discuss the barriers to effective apprenticeships and propose potential solutions for positive and sustainable change.
Mark Reynolds, CLC co-chair, said: “This is an extremely insightful and helpful report for the industry. Apprenticeships are vital to our future success, and we must all support them to grow and improve our much-needed capacity, capability and productivity as we transition to a modern, efficient and green economy.
“I look forward to engaging with ministers and government officials to discuss the report, but in the meantime, I urge all stakeholders to help enhance routes into and through the industry or support the employment of an apprentice to offer them a rewarding and exciting career.”
The report’s recommendations include:
- Stakeholders should engage with the development, and sharing of, better-informed careers information, advice and guidance, representative of the wide variety of technical and professional occupations on offer.
- The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) working in partnership with employers, training providers and professional institutions, needs to continue to make improvements to apprenticeship development, to create a responsive and sustainable system owned by IfATE and supported by the CLC People and Skills workstream.
- The apprenticeship levy must be reviewed to ensure it continues to drive forward investment in apprenticeships and their successful outcomes, and to be open to other uses, including to better support high-quality apprenticeship delivery and assessment.
- The funding rules and regulation of apprenticeships need wholescale simplification and rationalisation, with recording and reporting on the priority outcomes for apprenticeships: a competent workforce that is trained well, prepared for future skills adaptations, is retained and is productive.
- The government needs to define a more inclusive apprenticeship accountability framework which reports and recognises broader measures of success to capture a broader evidence base to enhance the apprenticeship system.
- The CLC, working in partnership with the CIC, must be supported in its aspirations to influence government to promote and deliver improvements focused on the higher technical and professional careers in the sector; and to raise the profile of apprenticeships.
Aled Williams, who is CLC routes into industry lead, CIC chair of education and future skills, and UCEM executive director of innovation and partnerships, said: “We need to continue to attract, train and retain the talent valued by this sector to enhance the capability of our current and future workforce.
“Professional apprenticeships must reflect, and be responsive to, the demands of employers and providers who, with the professions, seek to assure that apprentices receive a positive experience in order that successful outcomes are achieved. The desire to work collaboratively is there, but government must listen and act upon these key recommendations.”
