It might seem like the start of a particularly dull joke, but how many apprentices does it take to sustain a qualification framework? The answer, according to Jayne Sale, Head of Commercial Services at Skills for Security, is about 550.
And that’s where any attempt at humour has to end. At present, there are only around 200 new learners a year taking on a security installer apprenticeship. As a result, the sole provider of a dedicated NVQ for security installation, City & Guilds, has placed its qualification “under review.” That means, in as little as three years’ time, we could lose our sector specific apprenticeship — and that’s extremely bad news for our industry.
The reasons why we have few apprentices are fairly evident. We are simply a smaller sector compared to electrical and other contractors. So there are fewer employers across the board to take on apprentices in the first instance.
Furthermore, taking on an apprentice is a long-term investment — an extremely worthwhile investment of course, but nevertheless, one that requires an initial financial outlay and an ongoing commitment. With work levels down at present, it may not seem economically viable for contractors to take on a new member of staff. And no respectable contractor wants to take on a promising young person if there is a risk that they may have to let them go before they’ve finished training, because of a lack of projects.
Why we need apprentices
So why do we need an apprenticeship framework anyway? Simple — apprentices are an asset that can be invested in. If you want your firm to grow, you need reliable, skilled people who also believe in your business and share your values. An apprentice isn’t just an employee, they’re a person who can be moulded in the image of your firm — the manager of tomorrow.
Second, they offer an opportunity for development that will pay back extremely quickly. As a sector, we are particularly sensitive to and dependent on using advances in technology. Most of us are working with systems and equipment that just 10 years ago would have seemed like science fiction, but are now second nature. As we increasingly move towards using IP technology and smartphones as part of general security provision, we have a unique chance to take on people for whom the ability to stream HD video through a handheld device is something that is as normal as brushing their teeth.
It might seem like a cliche, but one of the best ways to bring new technology into your firm is to employ a young person who is already familiar with the latest technology and equipment.
However, to get the maximum value from an apprentice, our industry needs them to have gone through a sector-specific framework. Other industries may cross over into what we do, but their frameworks simply won’t equip trainees with the specialized skills required to work independently in security installation, thus defeating the point of them doing the training in the first place.
Fighting back
That’s why we need to fight for our framework. Or else, we risk losing a recognized way of giving young people the skills our industry needs, with little hope of replacing it with something as robust.
Realistically, it is going to be an almost impossible feat to turn the situation around by taking on more apprentices at this current time — there simply aren’t enough placements. Therefore, the solution is likely to involve making the qualification more cost-effective to deliver for the awarding body and colleges, so that fewer trainees are required to sustain it.
One suggestion is that our sector could use e-learning models, for instance. The aim would be to reduce the number of trainees required to keep the qualification viable. That may enable a smaller awarding body that understands the need of industry to potentially fill the gap in provision.
It could also potentially remove one of the smaller hurdles to taking on an apprentice for an employer. Because, if a candidate is on an e-learning course, he can do his theory training anywhere, reducing the need to travel what could be a long distance to the nearest college. This could, in turn, have the effect of boosting absolute numbers of trainees.
But we also need to look at what will help firms in our sector take on more apprentices. The FSA and related bodies such as Skills for Security would like to hear suggestions from across industry about what would be most helpful for you. What would need to be done to help make taking on an apprentice more viable?
This is our industry’s opportunity to defend something that’s vital for our ongoing success. We need to act now, or we will lose our essential apprenticeship framework.
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