SECTOR FOCUS: SKILLS
Pubs become a hub for skills programme
backing an innovative skills programme run by a Birmingham university professor to encourage school-leavers into employment. And it is hoped the TV
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personality’s support for the project will boost hopes for further growth, ultimately resulting in a nationally-delivered programme. Professor Jo Andrews, who
lectures at University of Birmingham Business School, launched the MEDAL (Meet, Eat, Drink and Learn) scheme last year in response to “The Pub is the Hub” initiative, operating from The Holte at Aston Villa and the Boat Inn at Cromford, near Matlock. Pupils taking part in the pilot
scheme were from Wilson Stuart School, a special academy in Birmingham, and Anthony Gell School, a Derbyshire-based comprehensive. The ‘pub hub’ idea is that pubs
should be encouraged to diversify the range of their offering to the communities they service – and MEDAL utilises their resources to stage weekend “employability”
ir Michael Parkinson and his son Nick, who co-own a pub near Maidenhead, are
workshops and sessions for students setting their sights beyond schooldays. Prof Andrews is an executive
committee member of the British American Business Council and chair of the city’s North American Association who has lectured in the Midlands for over 30 years.
‘Young people are, in the main, ambitious and intelligent. They want to get on in life’
She said: “That Sir Michael and Nick have agreed to hold MEDAL meetings at their pub, the Royal Oak in Paley Street, near Maidenhead, is fantastic news. It will provide the scheme with a high profile – and the necessary springboard from which to
progress even further. “The sessions not only enable
young adults to learn about communication and presentation
Pub Hub: The Royal Oak in Paley Street. Left: Professor Jo Andrews skills, managing projects
and team building, but,
because of the environment in which they are held, we are also able to discuss alcohol and safe drinking awareness,” she added. Prof Andrews said that she
decided to launch MEDAL with a pilot series of seven two-hour workshops, after recognising that the employability of both university graduates and school leavers had become a key issue – one that needed to be addressed by educational establishments in order to support students in finding and developing useful careers. “Young people are, in the main,
ambitious and intelligent. They want to get on in life. All they need is someone to work with them on the basics, and they will quickly develop the interest and flexibility to learn the rest for themselves.” Welcoming his involvement, Nick
Parkinson said: “Helping young people in the pursuit of their career is a subject very close to our hearts, as both myself and my father, Sir Michael, have been fortunate enough to follow careers we love. I strongly believe that pubs should be helping the local community and working towards re-establishing the ‘pub’ as the centre of the community.”
A call to shore up the construction industry
The Midlands construction skills gap is widening – sparking a plea from business experts for bosses and educators to tackle the problem. Eight out of every ten building
contractors fear the crisis is harming their business prospects, new research reveals. Skills Hub manager David
Tomalin called for a co-ordinated approach to narrow the skills gap. A study by construction
recruitment specialist Ionic found that 74 per cent of contractors in the Midlands struggled with skills shortages in 2015 – while 81 per cent believe the issue will have a detrimental effect on their bottom line in 2016. The sector has been hit by a lack of quantity surveyors, estimators and site-based personnel. Mr Tomalin said: “The peaks
and troughs of the economy have not helped in providing a continual supply of people who
56 CHAMBERLINK FEBRUARY 2016
want to work in construction. “We have also seen more
mobility from Europe in terms of migrant workers – this has been a double-whammy in terms of the perception of the construction as an industry. “We will always need skilled
builders. It is about getting the message across to people in schools to stress that construction is a viable career path.” Ionic, which has a base in
Tamworth, conducted an audit of 50 contractors around the region. Martyn Makinson, managing
director of Ionic, said: “People are the raw materials that will help a business grow. “In a candidate-driven
marketplace, construction companies need to present themselves as attractively as possible. It’s also imperative that they sell themselves to candidates by focusing on career and skills advancement opportunities.”
Building blocks: The Midlands construction industry is facing a skills shortage
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