Contractors Asked To Offer Their Views On Revised Training Standards

As ACR News reported recently, UK building and services engineering contractors are being encouraged to join in with the consultation on amendments to training standards for apprentices within the sector.

The revised standards aim to ensure that the needs of both employers and trainees are being met, and that those learning will be adequately equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for the job. The document has been written up by industry employers and is being backed by the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES).

The topics up for debate include: how long apprenticeships should last; what skills and knowledge apprentices need to gain over the course of a programme; and what level of competency they are expected to have achieved upon its completion.

Colin Acheson, chairman of the Employer Development Group, stresses the responsibility of employers to “take a close look at the new standards and learn what they involve.” If contractors are taking on apprentices – or are considering doing so – then the new standards could really affect their business operations; therefore, “a few minutes of engagement now could make all the difference to the shape and structure of their future workforce,” he explains.

Consultation is due to close on 23 January 2015, and involves reading two pages of the revised standards documents before answering an online survey that’s expected to take 10 minutes.

Employers looking to put their opinions forward can do so here: http://www.b-es.org/b-es-connections/employment-affairs/apprenticeships-consultation/