Apprenticeships to tackle skills shortage

In December of last year, Building magazine reported that a combined taskforce has been formed to double the number of construction apprenticeships to 14,000 by 2012.

Snappily titled the Cross-Industry Task Force on Apprenticeship Numbers, it hopes to encourage more employers to give apprentices a chance of a full qualification.

Not only is this an opportunity to begin to address the industry skills shortage, but could be integrated into programmes to employ people from communities in which we work.

On the theme of the skills shortage, the Guardian reported earlier this week that the government wants to see one person in five on an apprenticeship scheme by the end of the next decade. That’s up from one in 15 among 16 to18-year-olds at the moment.

Gordon Brown is hoping that more apprenticeships and other initiatives to get the unemployed into work will “help Britain to compete in…the new global skills race”.

Of interest to contractors involved in PPP/PFI, the government could start to consider a business’s apprenticeship record when awarding public procurement contracts.

Business mentors for charities

Today’s Guardian features an organisation called Pilotlight, which aims to take the commercial skills of business to charities. It introduces companies to small charities to help them to continue growing and become sustainable enterprises.

While charities have the expertise to respond to the needs of their beneficiaries, they often lack the support and skills needed to develop their own infrastructures.

Businesses or individuals can offer their business know-how through becoming a member of Pilotlight, committing three hours per month. The organisation then identifies a charity that will benefit from their particular skills, bringing them together.

Pat Fulker, former HR director for National Grid, was a ‘Pilotlighter’. He found the experience of applying his corporate skills to help a charity develop and move forward “very rewarding”.