How to Engage the Disengaged
Tom Rogers
Early Careers Practitioner @ BAE Systems | Championing Apprenticeships | Building FindATrainingProvider
I spend a lot of time writing these newsletters, attending careers conferences, and volunteering with various organisations.
All in the hope that I can inspire employers in my community (and even Nationally) to get involved in apprenticeships.
However, I am often in front of only those employers who are already actively engaged.
Interestingly, this newsletter was setup to inform SMEs of the support available to get into apprenticeships, however around 90% of the almost 700 subscribers are people already engaged in the Early Careers landscape.
Whilst I love talking to those who share my passion, I want to reach those who aren’t interested in apprenticeships to challenge them.
Recently I have taken part in some meetings with my local Careers & Enterprise Company around working out the challenges and solutions for students and their Access to Technical Education (ATE).
They conducted a survey where people like me ranked some of the barriers with ATE, leading to the assumed conclusion in one case that “employer willingness to offer opportunities” was not a barrier.
However, the survey was conducted only by those already engaged in the system, so it’s not an accurate depiction of the reality.
Doesn't mean the data isn't worthy, it just requires context that assumptions are being made by some to represent the majority.
We want to know how to support these employers, we want to create solutions, but it’s hard when they don’t engage in the education landscape.
Why don't they?
It’s an open question as I don’t have the answers:
How do we engage the disengaged?
As one example, It was recently highlighted to me that there is such thing as a yearly update of The Procurement Act.
As we know, apprenticeships often appear as a requirement on bids and tenders in the construction industry, particularly the housing market.
Could the procurement act next year enforce this as a part of all bids and tenders? (Where applicable)
In industries with large skills gaps, it seems sensible to enforce apprenticeships on employers, especially as we are seeing an overwhelming demand from young people versus a lack in supply of vacancies.
Something to think about. Aside from that, I am looking to you, how do we engage those employers?
Let me know!
Helping organisations develop early talent
1 周We’ve found local clustering can really help. Going on a journey some place new is always best done together.
Director at M. Thornton Engineering Limited
1 周As a director of a SME of 12 in the team, we have taken on apprentices over our 35 year history but had periods of not taking on. Incentives to take on apprentices that sound good can have conditions attached that can end up costing the employer more than the incentive. The courses delivered do not necessarily provide the training that is practical to employers business requirements. Skills training seem to be getting overlooked compared to acedemic education. Skills training is still left to the employer, so why pay for the education bit if it holds no benefit to the employer???? Small businesses have to be everything and are responsible for everyone and everything so don’t always have the opportunity to train apprentices properly, so we don’t, so we don’t fail, or let somebody down. The responsibility is so much.
Sector Engagement Manager at Enginuity
1 周It probably varies across sectors ....within manufacturing I would say smes are very much engaged in skills and apprenticeships. They struggle with the models and the costs. There needs to be more flexibility and support. The first year with engineering apprenticeships is a challenge for SMEs. Paying a wage and often not having a head in the business for that time. Years ago at a large OEM they used to do the overtrain apprenticeship model to support the sme supply chain with the first year costs.
Early Careers Practitioner @ BAE Systems | Championing Apprenticeships | Building FindATrainingProvider
1 周The main problem I see is that there is difficulty getting the value proposition across. A large amount of small business are blinded by small barriers. Apprenticeships are unique in that the value potential is high but government bureaucracy creates confusion and hesitation.