Engineering a Skilled Workforce

Now more than ever, engineering firms are presented with a huge opportunity when it comes to recruiting fresh new talent into their organisations. Recent changes to the way that Apprenticeships are funded means that the programmes are accessible to individuals of all ages, the number of Apprentices that any organisation can take on is unlimited, and there is no financial cost associated with the programmes (notwithstanding the Levy fee that is paid by larger firms).

Against this backdrop of accessibility is the positive message that came out of the Engineering UK 2017 report; that engineering activity has a particularly high wider employment multiplier, meaning that for every extra person employed within engineering, another 1.74 jobs could be created (due to increased productivity). Despite the positivity, the report also revealed a massive skills gap within the sector. In fact, it reported that an additional 250,000 new recruits would be required by 2022 to meet current and emerging skills gaps. 

Educ8’s Engineering Development Manager, Rhiannon Fletcher, believes that Apprenticeships could provide a real solution to the issue of employee demand: ‘we know that 8 out of 10 apprentice employers see Apprenticeships as one of the most important contributors to organisational growth and on the flip side of that, the Engineering UK report has just revealed that more young people are interested in working within this field;

51% of young people would now consider a career in engineering compared to just 40% four years ago. 

It is essential though that Apprenticeships are not just treated as any company training course but more of a programme of structured learning organised around professional tasks, supervised by workplace mentors and interspersed with appropriate training, all culminating in the achievement of a recognised qualification at the end. Apprenticeships can’t just be thrown together, they need to be properly designed. At Educ8 we can help you to establish valuable Apprenticeships which bright and ambitious young people will want to take on and which other companies will value as a guarantee of a skilled employee. We can support you with the entire recruitment process and even incorporate screening assessments to ensure your recruits have the appropriate levels of skills to begin with (for example mathematical ability). We then work with you to design a bespoke Apprenticeship framework that is tailor-made to the specific requirements of your business.’

Educ8 delivers Apprenticeships in a variety of engineering routes, including (but not limited to): Mechanical Manufacturing, Fabrication and Welding, Maintenance and Installation, Materials, Processes and Finishing, Engineering Technical Support, Electrical and Electronic and Engineering Leadership.

For more information around the opportunities available, please contact Rhiannon Fletcher on 07977 107952 or email [email protected]