NEWS BESA urges employers to ‘walk the walk’ on apprenticeships T


he Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has called for building services


employers to seize the opportunities created by this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) to reset their approach to recruitment and take advantage of the business benefi ts delivered by apprentices. The 17th NAW (#NAW2024)


runs from February 5 to 11 and its theme ‘Skills for Life’ highlights the availability of apprenticeships to suit people of all ages and at any stage in their career.


With the building engineering industry struggling with an ageing workforce and a skills shortage, the Association believes there has never been a more critical time for employers to apply for the government funding on off er for apprenticeships to bring in fresh talent and upskill existing workers. It has also relaunched its ‘Future Skills’ pledge to coincide with NAW 2024 and is urging all building services employers to show their commitment to training and recruitment.


By taking the pledge, employers can help the Association and its college partners identify and prepare


the training resources needed to meet demand. BESA will also contact the employer to get a better understanding of their requirements and provide advice about possible training providers, funding, and access to suitable candidates. More than 60 employers took the pledge last year and the Association hopes to beat that fi gure in 2024. The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced plans for a £50 million scheme to “stimulate apprenticeship training” in engineering in his autumn statement. He promised to back a two-year ‘apprenticeship growth sector pilot’ that would increase the number of aspiring engineers who opt for the apprenticeship route to help address skills shortages. The minimum hourly wage for


apprentices is also set to rise by 21% from April to £6.40 up from £5.28. “The cost-of-living crisis has made


it even more likely that a young person looking for their next step after school will not go to university,” said BESA’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet. “The chance to ‘earn as you learn’ has never looked more appealing and organisations like the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) have


worked hard to make apprenticeships more fl exible to suit the needs of employers and employees at diff erent stages of their careers. “However, while there is plenty of


promising rhetoric from employers around this topic more of them need to step up and ‘walk the walk’ by committing to take on more apprentices.” Yeulet pointed out that as much as 95% of an apprentice’s training and assessment costs are covered by the government via the apprenticeship levy – and because they are directly employed, an apprentice starts contributing to the business immediately.


80% of businesses who employ


apprentices enjoy better productivity, according to the Department for Education, and 74% of employers said apprenticeships had helped them improve the quality of their product or service. “We desperately need the


new ideas and perspectives that apprentices bring to our businesses,” said Yeulet. “This is particularly crucial as we adopt more emerging technologies and processes to address climate change and make buildings safer and healthier.”


BESA pointed to the 49% surge in applications for the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme which provides grant funding for heat pump installations as an example of why the industry desperately needed to grow its pool of skilled labour. “There is little point in the


government incentivising market growth if the industry cannot supply the skilled manpower to keep up with demand,” said Yeulet.


BESA member company SES Engineering Services currently employs 98 apprentices, ranging from Level 3 to Level 7, and has already pledged to add to that number later in the year. Steve Joyce, regional managing director, said the company believed that investment in its workforce was crucial to keep pace with industry growth.


BPMA observes extension of CE Marking recognition T


he British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has taken note of the recent announcement by Minister Hollinrake


regarding the extension of CE marking recognition in the UK market. This signifi cant development, following the Department of Business and Trade’s August 2023 declaration of continued recognition for certain product regulations, prompts refl ection and analysis from the BPMA on its implications for the pump sector. Minister Hollinrake’s announcement confi rms


the extension of CE recognition for three key regulations: ■ Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products 2010 Regulations (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)


■ The Explosives Regulations 2014 (Department for Work and Pensions - Health and Safety Executive)


■ The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (RoHS) 2012 (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Aff airs)


Regarding RoHS, a nuanced approach is outlined as follows: ■ Products meeting the maximum concentration values as per Annex II to the EU RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU) will continue to be recognised under current EU regulations and CE marking.


■ Products relying on exemptions will also retain recognition under current EU regulations and CE marking, provided there is a corresponding exemption under the UK Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012.


The announcement also introduces notable adjustments: ■Permanent labelling fl exibility allowing importers to indelibly supply their details on accompanying documents, packaging, or adhesive labels.


■ Introduction of digital labelling options, enabling manufacturers to incorporate the UKCA marking, manufacturer details, importer details, and declaration of conformity via methods such as QR codes attached to products.


■ Implementation of a ‘Fast track UKCA’ process, permitting manufacturers to use the UKCA marking to demonstrate compliance in Great Britain with either UKCA or EU product requirements.


10 March 2024 • www.acr-news.com


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