Local building firms can meet potential Apprentices at an ‘Apprentice Hiring Fair’ taking place on 14-16th October at our training centre in Kidlington.
The construction industry is suffering from a national skills shortage, compounded by an under-recruitment of Apprentices. The Construction Industry Board (CITB) estimates that new Apprentice starts are around one-fifth of what the industry needs. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) recently reported that two-thirds of small building firms are turning down work because of skills shortages. And the main reason being given is that they struggle to find suitable Apprentices.
In Oxfordshire, it is estimated that over 100,000 new homes are needed in the next 15-20 years, and that over 30,000 new construction jobs are needed to deliver local growth under the county’s City Deal from government.
Our MD, Adam Marsh; “We’ve had around 40 new students start on full-time courses after the summer and our aim is to get them ready for an Apprenticeship as soon as we can. We don’t feel a capable student should remain on full-time courses if they have the ability to get an Apprenticeship, and get on-site where they will earn a wage and progress all the quicker. We have a number of employers looking for Apprentices at the moment and each one has slightly different requirements. By opening our doors in this way, we can give those employers the opportunity to meet students and chat informally in a workshop environment. It also gives our new students something really positive to work towards over the coming weeks.”
Employers can also get help with understanding how funding and training works and get advice and support with how to access grants that may be available to them. They can also find out that they can take on an Apprentice at any time, as our courses have flexible start dates. They can also learn about how our Apprentices can access a low-cost moped lease scheme operated by our sister company Wheels 2 Work Oxford, the first scheme of its type operating in Oxfordshire.
Refreshments will be provided. Employers can come between 0830-1530 and should ideally call in advance to book in.
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