In a new series of regular articles, Pete (Monty) Monfort, Director of Arena Training Centre and Monty Electrics, uses his own experiences to help advise electrical professionals on the best routes for their business and the subsequent training and education that’s required. This month he discusses recruitment.
The UK Trade Skills Index 2023 report provided some alarming statistics:
• One third of the workforce is aged over 50 and due to retire in the next decade.
• 244,000 new entrants are required to plug the skills gap by 2032.
• 24,400 apprentices must qualify each year to meet the demand.
• 100,000 electricians will be needed by 2032.
Although concerning, those of you who run your own business should see this as a great opportunity to help bridge the skills gap and ensure your firm grows at the same time.
So, how can you attract new entrants into your business? I suggest two approaches:
1. Apprenticeships
There are huge benefits from taking on an apprentice, including:
• The chance to develop a workforce with skills specific to your business,
• Allows existing staff to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of employees,
• Provides you with a motivated and fast-developing workforce,
• Training is funded.
The success of those you recruit will, to some extent, equate to the effort you put into your selection and recruitment processes. Recruiting an apprentice is straightforward in that you can simply advertise a role.
However, if you want to avoid recruiting someone that fits the negative image that some can portray of young apprentices you might consider putting some effort into engaging with young people who are looking for work. You could offer to attend local school careers events or offer work experience, giving you the chance to sell your brand, attract the right sort of people and assess their suitability.
To help you navigate the process of taking on an apprenticeship it’s necessary to find an apprenticeship provider, such as JTL, who will ensure you have the correct policies, safeguarding and insurance in place to successfully appoint and secure funding.
2. Adult trainees
There are large numbers of adults undertaking technical courses such as the City & Guilds 2365 Level 2 and 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) who wish to change career and become electricians. Unfortunately, in order to progress from their technical training, they need to secure employment in order to complete a Level 3 NVQ, which is a work/evidence based qualification. Given that some of this training attracts government funding you might think there would be a mechanism to move learners into jobs, but there isn’t, and this represents a pool of untapped potential.
Again, there are a number of advantages with employing mature entrants, such as:
• Maturity makes a difference at work,
• Entrants have often learned skills from other roles which could be useful to the business, especially if they’ve worked in engineering, data and networking, or IT previously,
• Entrants are normally serious about their efforts to progress. Some of them will have already spent thousands of pounds on training.
Recruiting is fairly straightforward – you simply need to advertise the roles. But why go to the barrel when you can pick from the apple tree? Introduce yourself to the local training providers in your area and call in and see the learners. You might even have chance to see them in the workshop where you can get a feel for their practical skills and capacity to take feedback on board.
Taking on new entrants is a rewarding and worthwhile exercise. For further information and support, speak with your local training provider. If you’re based in South Yorkshire why not call in for a chat with Arena Training Centre – we’ll be happy to hear from you.
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