The skills shortage can't be sorted instantly. Skills have to be learned and honed over time.
So there's no time to waste!
The various government bodies need to start working together to formulate a plan that will help our industry, the kids of today and future generations.
All whilst creating a more diverse workforce, and also a workforce that will be happy and content in the jobs they're doing.
All this can be achieved by lowering the school leaving age to 14.
At 14 the less academic/more practical kids could opt to go to a practical skills college. Once there they'd have two years of lessons in a wide range of practical skills in construction, engineering, agricultural/horticulture/forestry and landscaping.
Then by 16 they should of realised what area they want to specialise in. And they can either leave college and start an apprenticeship or stop on at college in their chosen trade until qualified.
This would mean industries would have a regular stream of hand picked apprentices that already had an aptitude and interest in the hob they were going into, therefore they'd naturally learn the trade quicker and fill the skills gap we currently have.
We'd also have a more diverse workforce as at 14 kids haven't broken off into their social groups as much as they have by 16, so the herd mentally hasn't kicked in.
We'd have a happier and more content workforce, so the suicide rate should also drop too.
This would also need various industries to go into schools all through a kids school life to show them that these jobs actually exist and what they're all about. So kids have something to aspire to.
People won't be what they can't see! so industry organisations need to start working with schools to educate kids about trades.
FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry was on BBC Politics Live this afternoon, speaking about the need to boost skills in order to meet the Government's house building ambitions. Check out his thoughts ??
