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The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has launched a free advisory service to help employers and potential apprentices navigate the increasingly complex recruitment and training process.
Run by the Association’s Academy, the Skills Advisory Service aims to simplify and speed up a system that can often be "baffling and lead to many young people missing out on career opportunities in the building engineering sector".
The complexity of the various routes through further education (FE) is also contributing to the ongoing skills gap and holding back employers keen to upskill and reskill their workforces and take on new people, according to BESA.
Described by a further education professional as “a quick service for busy people” the free service offers impartial advice. It is designed to help both potential recruits and employers find the right qualifications, training providers and sources of funding – and navigate the FE system from beginning to end.
Jill Nicholls, head of construction at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), welcomed the launch of this “much-needed service” and said it could prove invaluable to employers and students alike.
“There is a lot of information about apprenticeships out there, but students and their parents don’t know where to look. A lot of it is generic and they are not sure who to believe,” she said. “It is also very hard for employers, particularly SMEs, to find what they are looking for – including what incentives are available and so on.”
