For those of you who are old enough to remember the old YTS system, the reputation of it left something to be desired. Apprentices were then given ‘day release’ to attend a college course but after two years the individual could be left without a permanent job or college qualification leaving them with very few prospects of a meaningful career.
Thankfully today, modern apprenticeships are no longer like this. The age profile of those taking on apprenticeships has shifted massively with only 22% of apprenticeships taken up by under 19s and nearly 48% aged 25 and over. There are now three levels of apprenticeships available and over 150,000 people in 2021/22 took up an advanced apprenticeship, the highest level available.
Building control as an industry is suffering from a massive shortage in new talent but at Assent we have found apprenticeships offer us a great opportunity to develop the surveyors of tomorrow. We have been running an apprenticeships within the group since 2020 and have a growing number of young surveyors who are really helping to drive the business forward after developing their skills through the apprenticeship.
Our apprentices have a structured programme that sees them learning both in the role with an experienced surveyor mentor as well as completing their qualification with the UCEM to become a chartered surveyor. At the end of the apprenticeship the young surveyors are well rounded both in their knowledge and in their skills at dealing with the many different aspects of building control, including dealing with the public and consulting with designers, developers and the wider surveying team. Nearly all of our apprentices have gone on to have careers in building control, whether that is with us or within the wider industry. Nationally figures for apprenticeships are also encouraging with 85% remaining in employment and 64% continuing with the same employer.
The figures released this week show that apprenticeships in the construction sector are once again on the rise and it’s great to see that the industry is embracing this learning pathway to help us deal with the growing skills gap. We would urge any company in the building control sector to consider apprenticeships as a valid and successful way of bringing new talent into a business. The structure that the scheme brings to learning helps to ensure successful outcomes if its supported by a business that provides an environment that enables continual growth and professional development.
If you are interested in our apprenticeship scheme with Assent you can contact our HR department for more information on careers@assentbc.co.uk
You can also find details of our latest apprenticeship vacancies on the Gov.co.uk website
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