There’s little doubt the apprentices we
train within our Group are growing many more skills as a consequence of the 20
per cent off the job training they receive.
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| Off the job training gives apprentices the opportunity to learn even more new skills |
But perhaps the issue is about something
even more important than the huge range of soft skills students pick up.
In fact, I believe it’s about the future
prosperity of UK PLC, and can there, really, be a bigger reason to embrace this
rule than that?
In training new apprentices, we're
growing the skills not just for an individual, or a business, or a community.
We are developing those skills for our country’s long term prosperity. What do
I mean by that? Well, in order to develop rounded workers, who can remain agile
in a busy and dynamic employment market, and therefore help contribute to the
wider growth of our society, we need skilled young people who understand the
different ways of doing things. They need to be rounded, without organisational
indoctrination or bias. They need to understand the different ways of working,
and that can only come in one way.
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| Giving apprentices off the job training opens them up to different experiences |
To develop those skills, our apprentices
require the checks and balances that come with spending time networking with
their peers, learning new ways of doing things and benefitting from the myriad
of positive experiences they'll have within their college environment. It’s
exactly the skills they build during their time at College which will enable
them to progress from their apprenticeship, and, should they want to, move to
another organisation. That enables them to become valuable contributors to our
economy on a wider level, giving them the tools to navigate our jobs market
fluidly, and transition into new roles and businesses more easily.
There’s another reason why apprentices
should have that 20 per cent of time away from the workplace. That’s the social
aspect of it. It’s a good thing for them to mix with their peers, and to be
able to build their networks. And for younger apprentices, it’s nice to give
them a forum where they’re able to socialise, and have some fun that’s not
workplace related. In my view, it’s that ‘apprentice experience’ which would be
lacking if the 20 per cent rule were to be diluted.
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| The ability to mix with peers in a College environment ensures apprentices develop their networks, adding to the experience. |
And if that were to happen, then you’ll
simply push young people – who Government is encouraging to engage in
apprenticeships – into other pathways, ultimately limiting our country’s opportunity
to grow and flourish in the future.
You can see I am a passionate supporter
of the 20 per cent off the job rule for apprentices. As a Group we’re clear
about the benefits it brings, and, as a consequence are advocates of it.
However, I recognise business sees an apprentice – rightly, in my view – as a real
employee, and therefore needs them to add value from day one. I believe the
message we all need to be taking to business, and the wider community, is that
20 per cent off the job for that apprentice will keep adding value in
perpetuity, and result in a better, more rounded and effective employee over
the longer term.
So we come back to the question we began
with; what’s the purpose of your college? I know what our Group’s purpose is,
and it’s to ensure we nurture the next generation of skilled employees, who can
play an active role in contributing to every element of our society, and the
communities we serve, rather than just one business. That’s why we must ensure
the 20 per cent of off the job training rule remains, and we are active
participants in it.
