A 30-strong group of engineering consultants and contractors are set to launch a new scheme next week (2 March) aimed at attracting a more diverse range of school leavers to become engineering professionals without having to study full time at university.
Balfour Beatty, Vinci and Morgan Sindall are among companies joining forces with the Construction Youth Trust in a pilot scheme promoting “higher” engineering apprenticeships to pupils at inner city London schools.
This is the latest move by the consortium to boost its engineering technician apprenticeships, which have grown from just eight apprentices when the scheme was set up in 2010 to 140 this year.
Its six founding members were Arup, Capita Symonds, Halcrow, Hyder, Mott MacDonald and WSP, which created the study path to chartered technician status with a number of colleges. The impetus was a requirement of the TfL Engineering and Project Management Framework that companies had to accept the GLA Strategic Labour Needs and Training commitment, which included a target for recruiting apprentices. The scheme later became part of the government’s Higher Apprenticeship programme.
Project manager Sheila Hoile, who set up and runs the programme, said: “It’s been phenomenally successful. We expect to have 200 young people taking up apprentices in September, which means we will have 400 people in the system.”
Courses are provided across a number of colleges, which is expected to number 12 by September. Students gain a higher level apprenticeship in civil or building services engineering after three years of full time or work-based study and can go on to get degrees in engineering.
Hoile said the success of the scheme wasn’t just down to tuition fees putting people off going to university, it was also the fact that some young people wanted a more practical and less theoretical route to getting professional qualifications.
Up to now apprentices have been recruited through the National Apprenticeship Service website, but research among the current crop of apprentices revealed that many thought the scheme should be better promoted.
The Construction Youth Trust already runs a Budding Brunels programme aimed at promoting careers in engineering through work placements to year 12 students. Under this new partnership it is expected to line up 60 students from diverse backgrounds for interviews within a few weeks for 30 apprenticeships.
The companies pay the salaries and they receive grant depending on the ages of the apprentices.
Christine Townley, executive director at Construction Youth Trust, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting advanced apprenticeship recruitment through this initiative, and are encouraged by the opportunity to work with a group of employers and funders who are committed to encouraging fair and equal access to the construction professions. Building on the success of our Budding Brunels schools engagement programme, this process will support industry diversification and social mobility by working closely with young people from groups currently under-represented in the built environment.”
Zoe Carter-Owen, graduate and apprentice development manager at Mott McDonald, added: “We are looking forward to working with Construction Youth Trust to raise awareness of apprenticeships and to widen access to a rewarding and meaningful career. This new partnership strengthens the considerable work of the consortium so far, and it is great to see young people being supported and encouraged to aim for a career they may previously thought inaccessible.”
