SPECIAL FOCUS: TRAINING & EDUCATION
COMPETITIONS DRIVE CONSTRUCTION
Paul Doran, Southern Regional College and WorldSkills UK Training Manager,
explains the importance of having such competitions as WorldSkills to encourage young people to consider careers in construction.
A changing economic landscape and the introduction of new technologies is transforming the construction industry in the UK. The further education (FE) and training sector knows this will have huge implications for skills training and development going forwards, but how can we ensure that we are fully preparing apprentices for these changes?
WorldSkills UK, an organisation which works to accelerate the development of young people’s skills from national to world class standards, recently brought together representatives from the construction industry, education sector and government to discuss the impact of technology on skills in construction. It was agreed that a ‘twin- track approach to skills’ needs to be maintained. With the technological changes that are happening within the construction industry, we must not forget the role and importance of attracting young people into traditional trades like bricklaying, plastering and tiling. These skills are a crucial part of the supply chain now and will remain so in the future.
However, a key component of these traditional trades is how we merge new technologies into them. This means there needs to be further strengthening of the collaboration between FE Institutions and industry, creating greater employer engagement. The skills competitions that WorldSkills UK run in partnership with CITB, including the Wall and Floor Tiling competition, can provide a suitable vehicle to achieve this, and provide opportunities for closer working with organisations at every level in the construction industry.
The finals of these construction competitions are held at WorldSkills UK LIVE, the country’s largest experiential apprenticeships, careers and skills event, which attracts over 70,000 young people every year. It is a great opportunity for young people to speak with CITB to learn more about apprenticeship opportunities in construction both now and in the future and watch the UK’s best apprentices at work.
Those who excel in these competitions can be selected by WorldSkills UK to join its International and Training Development programme. This sees the UK’s best apprentices and students compete to win a place in Team UK for WorldSkills, known as the ‘Skills Olympics’.
As part of the UK’s preparations for the next WorldSkills Competition, which takes place in Russia next August, I am training two tiling apprentices: Mark Scott, who attends City of Glasgow College and who works for McGoldrick & Sons, and Daniel McBurney who attends Southern Regional College. In March next year, they will compete for the one place to represent the UK in Wall and Floor Tiling on the world stage.
Competing against the best apprentices in the world is no — 18 —
easy feat and both Mark and Daniel are spending every spare minute, when they are not working, training. It is this level of commitment which will help them succeed, but without the support of RUBI UK and Ireland, British Ceramic Tiles, The Tile Association, BAL Adhesives and The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers, who have provided resources for training, we simply would not be able to compete. Speaking with the organisations, to understand why they want to support the UK’s participation in international skills competitions, it is clear they see it as an opportunity to engage with FE Colleges. It is this collaboration which the WorldSkills UK Construction Round Table referenced as so important, and must be built on, to future-proof the construction industry.
We also know there is a need to engage better with schools to attract more young people to take up careers in construction. When hosting training sessions, I always invite other students to come and watch, including those who are part of the school engagement programmes. They are also able to speak with past competitors, who help me deliver the training. These former competitors now run successful businesses or are part of senior management teams on sites. They say their impressive career success is because of participating in WorldSkills UK Competitions and these role models are exactly what is needed to show young people, their parents and teachers the full range of opportunities available in construction.
To register your apprentice for the WorldSkills UK 2019 Competitions please visit:
www.worldskillsuk.org www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk
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