Paul Caunce urges fellow employers to do more for construction management apprentices.
As I write, I’m confined to my home office, contemplating, in these unusual circumstances, the almost unique opportunity to work on personal development. Of course, there are some fantastic free-to-access MOOCs (massive open online courses), not least those from CIOB covering ethics, quality and sustainability – worthy of a place on any CPD planner.
But for people hoping to enter the industry in construction management positions, gaining accredited qualifications can come at a prohibitively high cost, with many school-leavers reluctant to incur mountainous student debt. Apprenticeships offer a great way to learn while in paid employment and, with government subsidies, are a relatively low cost for the employer too.
However, the number of apprenticeships for construction management roles seems remarkably low. In the Sheffield area, there are 1,500 construction apprentices, of which only 40 are higher apprenticeships (typically Level 4, leading to an HNC). Since 2015, degree apprenticeships have promised to deliver an alternative to mounting student debt while acquiring the best combination of vocational and academic learning – win-win?
Register for free and continue reading
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
