Skilling time

With skills shortages predicted to become a major problem in the electrical industry, investment in training of new entrants to the sector will become essential. Some firms are tackling the issue head-on with the help of industry training provider JTL and reaping the benefits.

One firm that firmly believes in investing in apprentice training is T Clarke. In 2004 it started 22 new apprentices and currently has 74 in the London area at various stages of their apprenticeship, with 11 due to complete in August 2005. Over the coming months we will follow the progress of two of these apprentices.

T Clarke has been employing apprentices for over 35 years, running indentured apprenticeships until JTL was established in 1990, after which it has employed under this scheme. The firm’s labour manager John Burrows explains the reasoning behind the change of operation: “Training for apprentices these days is a lot more arduous. The college courses are a lot more intense than they used to be,” he stresses. “To combine that intenseness with the apprentices, you need to give a lot of time to them, a lot of support, a lot of information. With the amount of apprentices we take on, to maintain that would be a very difficult task.”

The involvement of JTL, explains Burrows, takes the strain off contractors in this process, but also makes for a better apprenticeship. He explains: “It’s better for the apprentices in as much as they get almost one-to-one training. When they’re not at college, they’re on site and they get practical training given by us.”

Why employ apprentices?

“The number one reason [for employing apprentices] is we can ensure we’re putting tradespeople back into the industry,” stresses Burrows. “Apprentices come out as skilled operatives and that supports losses within the industry.”

There are many who argue that they would simply be paying for training, with other non-training firms reaping the benefits. While this does happen, T Clarke retains the majority of its apprentices on completion of their apprenticeship. Burrows argues that in most cases the training that apprentices receive actually makes them want to continue working with the firm.

“It provides a background of loyalty,” he assures. “Generally an apprentice that has done their time with a company will always look on that company favourably in terms of offering their services as a future employee, even if they leave and move away from that firm after their apprenticeship is complete.” Burrows knows this to be true from first-hand experience. He joined T Clarke as an indentured apprentice in 1970, becoming an electrician then project supervisor before leaving to join Balfour Kilpatrick in 1986. He rejoined the firm in 1993, becoming labour manager in June 2003.

“We’re always confident that we’ve got a good influx of well-trained operatives coming into the industry and indeed working for T Clarke. Within their training they learn new skills and techniques that come into play when they go out on site, because those skills and techniques are passed onto the older, more mature squad, so it keeps us in the forefront of the modern way of working.”

The selection process

The first step in selecting apprentices is carried out by JTL in the form of an aptitude test. “[Applicants] have to pass the aptitude test before they can be accepted by any participating contractor,” explains Burrows.

Once they have passed the test, JTL encourages applicants to write to participating contractors seeking an apprenticeship position. At T Clarke these will be processed by Burrows. He interviews potential candidates in June, with a view to them starting in August/September in line with the college terms.

Some basic requirements T Clarke look for in applicants are GCSE passes at Grade C and above in Mathematics, English and one of the sciences or design technology. Another pre-requisite for selection is age. “Generally, we don’t take anyone on over the age of 19,” Burrows explains. “That’s partly because of the funding situation. It’s difficult to get funding for those over the age of 19.” Most join the scheme direct from school, but the firm has some apprentices that have ventured on a university degree only to have a change of heart.

Getting to work

The chosen candidates are set to work on T Clarke sites on a ratio of five trained operatives to one apprentice. They move between projects as work demands and to ensure they are trained in all aspects of the job.

T Clarke has chosen the apprentice college time to be on a block release basis. A day-release scheme is possible but the firm finds this more suited to its business. It covers work by sending the apprentices to college on a three-stream rotational basis.

In the first year, apprentices will complete blocks of four, three then two weeks. This may be set to change as a replacement to the City & Guilds 2351 scheme has been introduced. Burrows explains: “A new scheme called City and Guilds 2330 started in August 2004. Normally a lad would go to college on a block release basis over a three-year period. The 2330 is aimed at reducing that to a two-year period, which means that there is more time to be gained at learning practical experience on sites before finally sitting their AM2.

“In terms of hours split between college and work it should be about the same.”

Each apprentice is assigned a JTL training officer as their apprenticeship begins. They set targets, mentor them through the apprenticeship and co-ordinate with and report on progress to the employer. Due to the number of apprentices that T Clarke employs, it has an individual assigned to its apprentices full-time.

“If they have issues at college that can’t be managed out of college it’s managed by their JTL training officer on a one-to-one basis and also with the back-up and support of T Clarke,” explains Burrows.

“We are liaising on a day-to-day basis with the training officer. He will advise us if there are any issues. We advise JTL where the lads are working and interview them on a three-monthly basis. Again, they come back to us and advise us in written report form if there is any special training needed.”

As well as the training and mentoring role, JTL provides employers with the administrative back-up needed. “They put the lads under contract on our behalf and apply the documentation and resources,” Burrows explains.

From JTL’s point of view it’s a full-time process, which takes the pressure off the employers. “They are focused on apprentices whereas I tend to work across all the labour relations within the company,” explains Burrows. “[JTL’s involvement] is beneficial to the apprenticeship needs and also it means I can concentrate on other areas of the labour force.”

For those worried about costs, Burrows has some reassuring news: JTL provides funding for college and exam fees and it is purely the apprentice’s wages that the employer pays. “There seems to be a bit of a fallacy about at the moment that apprentices cost you money. I would say that is not strictly true,” stresses Burrows. “When an apprentice initially joins a company their output rate is not very high, but as they go on to become more experienced then their output and experience gains and generally an employer can benefit from that.”

Burrows encourages all firms to take on apprentices for the survival of the industry and their own benefit. “Apprentices are the backbone of the industry. If there isn’t at the moment, then in five or six years time there could well be a shortage of tradesmen. The only way to overcome that is through training apprentices.”

An update on the progress of Sean and Mark progress will follow later in 2005.