The construction, manufacturing and engineering industries faced a skills shortage after the 2009 recession led many students to pursue other careers. In response, the UK government has introduced new "degree apprenticeships" or "Trailblazers apprenticeships", which allow employers to design training programs that combine on-the-job learning with academic qualifications. These apprenticeships will be jointly funded by the government and employers, removing the financial barrier of tuition fees. They are aimed at attracting new entrants to the industries and allowing current professionals to progress, through earning a bachelor's or master's degree without debt. The program is seen as a potential solution to plugging the skills gap, if it proves cost-effective for businesses to participate.

1. Project Control Professional July 2015 76 Project Control Professional July 2015
education & training education & training
The future of education and training in the construction,
manufacturing & engineering industries
by Dawn Powell, Director,
Talent & Performance,
SEL Talent Solutions
The skills shortage – how did we
get here?
In 2009 the recession hit the global
economy and no sectors felt it more
than construction, manufacturing and
engineering (CME); spending cuts
across the UK, construction pro-
grammes came to a halt, unemploy-
ment in engineering surged and failing
manufacturing businesses were hitting
the headlines.
Meanwhile, CME students leaving
university with or without experience
were faced with the challenge of
finding a graduate placement; the
reality for most was unemployment.
Training investment also became a
luxury with fewer companies able to
offer trainees/graduates sponsorship on
traditional university courses.
Undoubtedly, these well reported
problems swayed the next generation
of CME talent away from our sectors;
instead embarking on other careers
perceived to be less volatile – including
the buoyant technology sectors.
Fast forward six years – what
has changed in the CME
industry?
The CME markets are reported to be in
a period of growth; most businesses are
seeing encouraging progress with
increased investment across most
engineering, process & energy sectors.
Great news, but … where are the next
generation of skilled project profess-
ionals, ready to take on this work?
At a time of economic recovery, when
companies are able to increase spending
on education and training, the industry
is now faced with a new enemy –
university tuition fees. As a result of
increased fees of up to £30,000 for three
years’ full-time or five years’ part-time
education, most employers, especially
SMEs, have now been priced out of the
higher education market.
Let’s face it, with the increased scale
of university fees and the construction
market crash still being reported/
referred to heavily in the media, it is
hard to imagine a student feeling
confident enough to take on such debt.
The true cost of gaining a traditional
university education must be acknowl-
edged; the cost of which is traditionally
an entry prerequisite for most project
professions.
Today’s trainees also have different
expectations from 10 to 15 years ago;
this, too, needs to be acknowledged.
Individuals want to work within a
framework that allows them to put their
skills into practice quickly and easily,
to feel they are making professional
progress and to feel they are making a
real impact in the workplace.
Addressing the skills shortage needs
a joined up, industry-wide approach; to
attract the talent back into the CME
industries, future training & develop-
ment options need to deliver both
academic accomplishment and career
progression. This needs to be achieved
at a realistic cost, in order to enable
trainees and employers to benefit from
the employee/employer partnerships
these industries have previously relied
on to maintain skills levels.
Fast forward six years – what is
happening in the education &
training arena to address the
skills gap?
The skills shortage in CME sectors and
the attraction of the next generation of
engineering professionals has been at
the forefront of debate for several
years; however, change is upon us and
industry may have found a solution…
On 12 March 2015 the Government
announced the roll-out of new industry-
designed Degree Apprenticeships, des-
cribed as innovative training models that
bring together the best of higher &
vocational education. Also known as
‘Trailblazers Apprenticeships’ they
allow employers to take ownership of
training to ensure that the industry skills
needed are being produced. CME-
relevant apprenticeships announced
include: surveying, construction, aero-
space engineering, defence systems
engineering, nuclear and power systems.
Trailblazers Apprenticeships are the
means through which the Government
is implementing the Richard Review of
Apprenticeships (2012), which recog-
nised that employers are ‘best placed to
judge the quality and relevance of
training and demand the highest poss--
ible standards from training organ-
isations’.
Employer consortiums have been
created to develop the Trailblazers
Apprenticeships; large companies and
SMEs are represented and each
consortium has an appointed employer
Lead – example organisations include
Balfour Beatty, Arup, CH2MHill and
LaingO’Rourke. Professional bodies
also play a fundamental role; organ-
isations such as the RICS, CIOB, ICE
and EFF are all involved, making it
possible to also gain professional
membership via these new apprentice-
ship routes, with some allowing access
right up to chartered status.
The cost of course fees will be shared
between government and employers;
removing financial barriers, so an
apprentice can earn a full bachelor’s or
even master’s degree without the
burden of fees. Trailblazers Apprentice-
ships will be suitable for school leavers
and project professionals looking to
progress their career. No cost inform-
ation is yet available, but is likely to
vary depending on the chosen qualifi-
cations, training, etc.
Nick Evans, UK Higher Education
Policy Manager at the RICS, described
the Degree (Trailblazers) Apprentice-
ships as: ‘a potential game changer for
professional education and develop-
ment in the construction industry’.
These apprenticeships rely on a
partnering approach between academic
institutions and industry employers.
Andy Ross, Head of Surveying at
Liverpool John Moores University,
said: ‘The major change with degree
apprenticeships is the funding, as it will
be split between the Government and
employers rather than the student’.
A major issue for young people and
graduates seeking full-time employ-
ment is often cited as lack of practical
experience. Terry Scuoler, Chief Exec-
utive of EEF, was recently quoted
within the Government’s own press
release praising the ability of app-
renticeships to meet the practical needs
of employers, saying: ‘Fast-moving,
evolving sectors such as manufacturing
increasingly demand higher-level skills.
These economically valuable industries
can only grow and prosper if highly-
skilled employees are there for the
taking. There has been a noticeable gap
in higher-level provision that combines
both vocational and academic learning,
and degree apprenticeships are the opp-
ortunity to fill this gap.’*
What now?
Employers, industry bodies and aca-
demic institutions have been busy; the
CME skills shortage agenda has taken
centre stage. The result is an innovative
means of training that creates ‘earn
while you learn’ opportunities, whilst
holding the same ultimate prestige as
traditional forms of higher education
and professional memberships.
The Trailblazers Apprenticeships, if
cost-effective, should motivate busi-
nesses to reinvest in school leavers,
young adults and those looking to
retrain following redundancy, or
released from the armed forces, etc.
They are attractive opportunities and
will allow talented individuals to reach
their highest levels of ambition from
whatever educational route and back-
ground taken.
The wheels are in motion, the CME
industries have geared up for change; a
move towards more accessible styles of
training, which is backed by the
Government, universities, industry
leaders and professional bodies. The
pieces seem to be set, so only time will
tell if the delivery of Trailblazers
Apprenticeships will meet industry
expectations for attracting more talent
into CME professions and plugging the
skills gap for the UK’s future CME
markets. Let’s hope so!
* https://www.gov.uk/government/news/
government-rolls-out-flagship-degree-
apprenticeships
This article first appeared in Project Control Prpfessional July 2015. It is reproduced by permission of The Association of Cost Engineers.
© ACostE 2015