With the present skill shortages oft reported across the construction (and related services) industry, apprenticeships are commonly seen as a way forward for organisations to bring in new blood and train them up to a standard suitable, firstly for their own operations, and secondly for the wider sector where they may eventually venture out into. In support of this, a new apprenticeships resource pack has been announced to pre-empt celebrations of the benefits which both individuals and employers receive from on-the-job training.

Assembled for the build-up to National Apprenticeship Week, the pack, available directly from the Skills Funding Agency, is poised to support organisations in communicating their activities over the course of National Apprenticeship Week – a clear nod to the importance of spreading understanding and awareness as a driver for the sector. In total, the event is expected to see hundreds of different events across England, between the 14^th and 18^th of March to celebrate apprenticeships and raise awareness, hopefully increasing further the level of interest on both sides of the fence; employer and apprentice.

For the 20-14-2015 academic year is has been reported that some 871,000 people undertook funded apprenticeships over the period, sporting the highest values yet reported in the history of the study. This, highlights a keen (and important) interest in the pursuit of apprenticeships both from a career perspective and from the perspective of employers bringing in new blood to solve the skill shortages they are presently facing. With increased workloads also being reported across the industry, it’s certainly a good sign to see, with employers in dire need of addressing the shortage so as best to support the delivery of their service to an ever-expanding client base.

Additionally, an additional area of focus is set to be traineeships, which is intended to be a stepping stone up to apprenticeships, encouraging people to get involved in this line of progression yet further. The main aim of such traineeships is, as to be expected, to give individuals the opportunity to undertake work experience and training in advance of an apprenticeship so that they can come better prepared, more confident and more capable to suit the requirements of their future employer.