In the bag
All embracing
The Institute of Packaging Professionals UK (IoPP) has launched an apprenticeship scheme in partnership with City of Bristol College. The work-based training programme has been developed specifically for the packaging industry to meet the growing need for practical skills and knowledge, while introducing more young people to a career in packaging. Kevin Vyse, Director of IoPP UK, comments: “Apprenticeships are not only an important way of introducing fresh talent to the industry, but they also help to equip the students with the right skills when they come to seek employment. The IoPP sponsored work-based programme is designed around the needs of the employer. In return the employer will get a pre-screening of the students, a mentoring service for the students and a specific packaging training module to help them gain a recognised qualification in this vital business arena.” Alison Rugg, Head of the Faculty of Business, Creativity and Computing at City of Bristol College, remarked: “We are delighted to be working with the Institute of Packaging Professionals UK on a modern apprenticeship initiative focussed on the packaging industry. The need for the industry to be involved in the educational process has never been more important, but to add the additional mentoring and packaging focus to this scenario, is a fantastic way to ensure both sides of the process benefit.“
The in-depth report into diversity and inclusion reveals that almost two thirds (63 per cent) of UK employees stated their organisations are actively promoting workplace diversity through relevant policies and programmes. In contrast, APAC countries rank worst globally for workforce diversity with Malaysia (56 per cent), New Zealand (52 per cent) and Singapore (49 per cent) among the worst performing. However, the survey questioned whether employers can cope with the impact of creating a more diverse talent pool and policies, with only two in five UK employees (42 per cent) believing their organisation is effective at building a diverse workforce. The research, which is highlighted in CEB’s study, ‘Creating competitive advantage through workforce diversity’ also identified an aging workforce as a particular challenge to diversity in both the UK and US markets. It suggested there is a need for businesses in these markets to develop and implement diversity policies which address the needs of older employers in order to effectively create a more diverse workforce. The findings contradict current UK economic trends which have seen employers favour older, more experienced employees ahead of younger new recruits. This is coupled with changes to the pension age which has increased over the past year and will continue to do so until 2020. The discrepancies between the data and current policy and trends indicate that employers are challenged with balancing the business need against the practical needs of an increasingly diverse and ageing workforce.
Chris Ellehuus, managing director of CEB,
said: “It is encouraging to see UK business lead the way in promoting policies for diversity but they now need to refocus on business solutions concerned with each diversity need. Organisations must recognise that not every need is a global problem – while an aging workforce is a UK challenge, attracting women to business is more prevalent in China – and as such, regional variations must be considered, particularly within global businesses. “The changes required to create a truly diverse and productive workforce need to extend beyond regulation and be placed within the core of the business, from the recruitment process to the overall business objectives. “Our members have also identified organisational barriers to building diversity which needs to be considered, one being a lack of common objectives between promoting diversity and the overall business objectives. They also suggest that there is often a lack of commitment from business leaders to address diversity issues which can severely hinder the creation of more diverse organisations. “Our research, however, found that recruiting from a diverse talent pool increases an individual employee’s discretionary effort and their commitment to the business. As such, business leaders need to ensure that relevant local objectives form a part of the overall business plan in order to successfully create a diverse workforce that is mutually beneficial to both diversification and the overarching business needs.”
GRADUATE RECRUITER 11
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