Jen W.’s Post

To meet the need for construction workers, about half of high school graduates in the U.S. would have to pursue the trades, according to a Rand report. The U.S. has invested heavily in registered apprenticeships in a range of industries and as a primary method of growing the construction workforce. But the number of workers those programs produce are far from what the industry needs, according to a new report.

Exciting #workforce news! Ontario is introducing new policy and legislative measures to attract more young people to the #skilledtrades 👷♀️👏 Highlights include: - A new stream of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) called Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST) that will let Grade 11 and 12 students participate in more apprenticeship learning while completing high school and receive a new seal on their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. - A new online job-matching portal for potential apprentices, journeypersons and employers to network and share opportunities. - Legislative measures to reduce barriers to apprenticeship training for workers who have prior professional experience, but cannot meet certain academic entry requirements to register as an apprentice. Check out the news release for more information: https://hubs.ly/Q02wH0Pq0

The U.S. has invested heavily in registered apprenticeships in a range of industries and as a primary method of growing the construction workforce. But the number of workers those programs produce are far from what the industry needs. #edchat https://lnkd.in/d3Mj9xV9

"In 2024, the federal government poured $244 million into expanding apprenticeship opportunities in growing industries such as construction, making it the largest federal investment in them to date, according to the report released by Rand Corp. last month. "

The national minimum hourly wage for apprentices has undergone a recent increase, with the rate now standing at £6.40 per hour, representing a 21% rise from its previous level of £5.28. This is a significant development in the context of apprenticeships and underscores the government's ongoing commitment to supporting the skills development of the nation's workforce. It is hoped that this change will motivate and encourage more individuals to pursue apprenticeships as a viable career path and ultimately contribute to the growth and prosperity of the UK economy. The minimum apprenticeship wage applies to those aged 16-18 and those aged 19 or over in their first year. All other apprentices should be paid the national minimum wage for their age or more. If you want to learn more about the national minimum wage, please click on the link below. https://lnkd.in/dG783HK Check our latest apprenticeship vacancies: https://lnkd.in/dafGXmtH #nmw #apprenticeship #wage Jason Harrington-Parry Stacey Leigh Lapper David Bucknall Nadine Watts Louise Crosby Christina Douglas Ryan Whitehouse Richard Lewis Brett Hall Doreen Quinn Karen Butler Deepa Freebury Rebecca Green Sue Hobson Jason Bithell Leanne Fisher Samantha Palmer Joe Cadwallader Liam Mansell Jack Slater Nova Training Darrelle Southall Natalie Marchewka

Interesting article, I do feel the wages apprentices receive along with a poor off the job allowance for some trades are setting a precedent. People end up going into low skilled better paid jobs where future prospects are limited. it is only 5 yrs plus that these people realise the error and due to financial commitments they find themselves shut out of the apprenticeship option at that stage. We need these payments brought into line with current wage levels. curriculum updates should follow industry advances in each trade also. https://lnkd.in/eJ8Ye6mJ

Apprenticeship programs are great at training the next generation of construction workers. More of these are required across the country to keep with demand and growth. #construction #constructioncosts #projectmonitoring #constructionloan #constructionfinancing #inflation #cre #constructionmonitoring #skilledworkers #laborshortage

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ We are letting our young people down! Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of working with numerous apprentices. However, a common narrative has recently emerged, suggesting that young people and school leavers are no longer interested in entering the construction industry. Based on my own experience, this is simply NOT true. There is a significant appetite among young people to enter the construction industry. During our most recent recruitment drive, we received over 50 applications for just two apprenticeship positions! Many eager and motivated young people are waiting to join the industry and pursue careers in scaffolding and other construction trades. This indicates that there is a strong demand for apprenticeships, and the problem lies not in the lack of interest, but rather in challenges related to education and training resources. The Training Bottleneck The key issue preventing us from welcoming more young people into the business is the severe shortage of funded apprenticeship spaces in college. In the scaffolding industry, these college spots are highly sought after and, unfortunately, incredibly scarce. In the Central Belt of Scotland, there is an approximate 12-month waiting list for a scaffolding apprenticeship funded by CITB. This bottleneck in training availability poses a significant challenge for businesses like ours. We cannot bring new apprentices on board until we have placed our current apprentices at college. This results in a waiting game for both employers and prospective apprentices. The ongoing skills and labour shortages in the UK construction industry are well-known, and the lack of adequate training opportunities only exacerbates the issue. Estimates indicate that the UK will need 244,000 apprentices by 2032 to meet industry demand. Yet, in Central Belt Scotland, CITB only offers 99 funded scaffolding spaces per year—a woefully insufficient number to support the growth required in our industry. To address the skills shortage in the construction industry, it is essential to expand access to funded apprenticeship programmes. There is no shortage of motivated young people eager to enter the field, but until training institutions and funding bodies can increase the availability of apprenticeship spots, businesses will continue to face challenges in meeting their labour needs. We need to: 💸Increase funding 👷🏼♂️Expand college capacity ⏱️Shorten waiting periods By addressing these issues, we can ensure a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers entering the construction industry, securing its future in the years to come!

"On March 6th, 2024 President Biden signed Executive Order 14119: Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor-Management Forums. This executive order (EO) announced the availability of nearly $200 million in grant money to support public-private partnerships that expand, diversify and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships (RAs), which are industry-vetted jobs training programs vetted by the Department of Labor (DOL) or a state labor agency. This is on top of the $440 million already invested into RAs to support job training in emerging American industries. This EO aims to expand RAs to new occupations and new populations of workers, namely people of color and women who have historically not had access to this opportunity. Additionally, the promotion of labor-management forums underscores a commitment to fostering collaboration between employers and workers, ensuring that apprenticeship programs align with industry needs and promote the interests of both parties." Cornell University ILR School's Nicholas Weising for The MOC

Victoria is hoping to make apprenticeships safer and fairer after the Victorian Government accepted all of the recommendations of a report into the state's training and apprenticeship system. The report found several weaknesses in the current system, including an unacceptably high incidence of safety incidents, workplace bullying and harassment, lack of support and employers not fully understanding their roles and responsibilities. What's your take on this? Have you found that apprentices are generally well treated/not well treated in your experience across the industry? Do you feel that the actions (described in article) will be adequate to ensure that apprentices receive safe and high quality workplace environments? #construction #apprentices #workplace #occupationalhealthandsafety #victoria https://lnkd.in/grPWhzWH