The future of apprenticeships in infrastructure – the flexible apprenticeship

The construction industry will need 53,000 extra recruits a year for the next four years to meet demand, says a Construction Skills Network report.

With an ageing workforce and an ongoing labour shortage, this makes it vital to attract more people through apprenticeships–yet apprenticeships are on the decline. In the first three months of the 2021/22 academic year, just 157,400 workers under 24 started apprenticeships - 18,000 fewer than in 2018/19, according to the Department for Education.

Apprenticeships are a great way for infrastructure companies to find new recruits, or to upskill or retrain existing employees, at any level and at any age. They can also be extremely flexible.

 

The Flexi Job Apprenticeship

The government’s new flexi job apprenticeship scheme aims to enable 1500 apprentices to complete short placements, opening a new paid training route to careers in construction and other industries with flexible employment patterns.

Previously, an apprenticeship had to have at least a 12 months commitment from employers, making it hard for industries, like ours, with more short-term roles to take apprentices on. This new scheme essentially allows apprentices to be placed on a succession of short-term projects with different companies by approved providers.

 

What do candidates gain from an apprenticeship?

• Hands-on experience: this is what employers are looking for on your CV.
• Direct access to people already doing the job: learn from people who are doing what you want to do and get insider support when you apply for a full-time job.
• Sought-after skills: apprenticeships teach real, valuable skills that will make you sought after by employers.
• Apprenticeships grow with you: not just for young people, apprenticeships are available at more senior levels for people with more experience too.
• Job flexibility: getting your foot in the door with an apprenticeship will give you transferable skills and a range of roles to choose from across the organisation you’re working with.
• No student loans: unlike going to university, you won’t have to borrow money, you’ll be paid.

 

What do employers gain from apprenticeships?

As a Department for Education approved Flexi Job Apprenticeship provider, McGinley’s Apprenticeship provides a distinctive method of recruiting apprentices. Apprentices are employed by us but placed with you as a Host Employer; you get all the benefits of an apprentice without employing them, whilst we recruit, employ, and arrange training for them.

You only pay for the hours they work, whilst we pay them according to their contract. 

If circumstances change and you are unable to retain the apprentice, we will find appropriate alternative employment for them, giving them the reassurance that they can continue their Apprenticeship.

Our Apprenticeship is designed to deliver high-quality apprentices directly to you within the infrastructure sector with minimal fuss.

It allows more flexibility and is ideal for organisations that are unable to commit to the full apprenticeship framework, have short-term restrictions on employee numbers or salary budgets, or are uncertain about the value of an apprenticeship.

 

If you’re interested, get in touch today to find out more about how our Apprenticeship could work for you.