Why apprenticeships are important

According to recent figures, the number of young people starting engineering apprenticeships has declined in recent years.

Industry accountancy firm, SJD Accountancy, reported that 63,240 people in the UK started engineering apprenticeships over the period 2013/2014, a decrease of more than 9 per cent from the 69,710 who enrolled on an engineering apprenticeship during 2011/2012.

This decline comes after a period where more people were entering the sector as apprentices and represents a blow to the Government and industry bodies, such as EngineeringUK and the Royal Academy of Engineering, who have put a lot of energy into promoting a career in engineering for young people.

Here at Skar we believe apprenticeships are vital for the industry, as well as being an integral part of our future planning. We have recently taken on two young people in apprenticeship roles – one in the warehouse and the other, Ryan, as a material processing engineering apprentice. Ryan works with us four days a week and then attends Suffolk New College for one day to add some academic and technical background to his practical training. He is already starting to develop a detailed understanding of injection moulding machines and has established himself as an important member of the team.

It is to be hoped that the reported fall in the number of engineering apprentices is only a blip and in the long run we will see more young people consider this as a viable route to obtaining skills, experience and qualifications, and that more businesses will be encouraged to take apprentices on.  At a time when advanced manufacturing jobs are returning to the UK, this is a key way of closing the skills gap in our sector.

The benefit of taking apprentices into our business is that we can develop a young person to understand the way we work and to become familiar with our culture. It is only through working alongside established members of our team that much of their knowledge and experience can be passed down. Young people also bring new approaches with them and can question the way things are done. Having fresh ideas in the workplace means we are less likely to become complacent.

There is also a social responsibility aspect– as our business expands, we believe we have an obligation to give young people opportunities to develop a meaningful career for themselves. It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

Ultimately, our aspiration is that Ryan will become a qualified, full-time employee here at Skar who will grow with the company and become the asset his potential shows. One day, we hope it will be him who will take a young apprentice under his wing.