Miranda Barker OBE Chief executive


@elancschamber


INFLATION CHEER IS NO SOLUTION


Lisa Kennery


When it comes to curriculum development it is about partnerships, co-designing, creating some bespoke training models. Working with a range of employers, making sure it is current, because standards do get out of date very quickly.


Robin Lindsay, operations manager, North Lancs Training Group


Is there something to be said about the kind of careers advice that is given? Rather than it being seen as a ‘binary choice’, is it a degree, is it an apprenticeship or is it a different route?


It’s that broader conversation. A young person or any person at any point in their career understanding which route is going to support them in what they want to achieve down the line, whatever that might be.


The whole point of an apprenticeship is that you’re recruiting a raw resource. You’re not


David Walker


David Walker, managing director, Plus 24 Marketing


I didn’t go to university. I wanted to get out there and start working and if there had been digital apprenticeships back then when I was growing up, I would have 100 per cent taken that route.


My business values apprenticeships over any other qualification, because I can get them early, I can mould them and train them. I can build them up into the person that I want them to be.


We’ve launched an academy that provides the content to support the colleges to deliver apprenticeships.


If you look at some of the apprenticeships that are being released, they’re not up to scratch, especially in the digital skill sector. The content that we produce includes all


As employers we have a responsibility


to combat the negative view of apprenticeships and to work at school level


recruiting the finished article. If you were, they’d already have the degree, they’d have the experience.


Our job as a provider is to take the core standard that has been created and work in partnership with organisations to make the best of what we’ve got. There is still an awful lot of flexibility.


Lisa Kennery, director, Pierce Business Advisory


Apprenticeships are working really well in the professional sector because they go hand-in-hand with professional qualifications. Whether it is the legal sector or accountancy, they really complement each other.


We need to spread the word and really engage with those businesses that perhaps don’t understand how it will work for them, to build it into their plans and their models.


We also need to educate managers who are going to be working with apprentices. It is making sure the apprentices know things like the etiquette within the workplace and how they should behave. These are the important basics.


One part that we really need to work on is upskilling, and educating people that apprenticeships aren’t just for the youngsters and that they can be used at all ages.


of the bits that the apprenticeship misses. That’s a way that potentially employers can support as well.


If we want to get SMEs to take on more apprentices, we have to look at that content.


Yasmine Hooson, talent acquisition partner, Veka


As employers we have a responsibility to combat the negative view of apprenticeships and to work at school level.


We need to be talking about the careers that you can get through apprenticeships and the opportunities.


In the last two years, we have seen more interest in apprenticeships. But we also need to be careful, because the training providers aren’t necessarily ready or they haven’t got the staffing to be able to support an increase.


There’s been a lot of long-term planning about how can we boost apprenticeships, how can we encourage people down that route.


But what are we doing long term about the teaching staff situation, because if there are more apprentices than staff, then we’re not going to help anyone.


Continued on Page 40 LANCASHIREBUSINES SV IEW.CO.UK


TO SKILLS CRISIS Many things have changed over the last couple of years for our businesses – energy prices, inflation, transport costs, interest rates.


But two things have remained the same: our businesses’ confidence for the medium term; and the catastrophic skills shortages that are seriously constraining business growth.


We hear in literally every business consultation event across East Lancs – and I mean that in the correct use of that much exhausted word ‘literally’ – that shortages of the right staff are curtailing our businesses’ ability to function.


Manufacturers unable to accept to orders, contracts unable to be signed – this is no habitual moan as we have heard for decades from our firms about the available workers having the wrong basic business skills. This is a shortage of workers across the board, from senior managers and engineers to pub, shop and factory floors.


Our Bank of England colleagues seemed surprised that the shortage was still so acute, so economically painful. Their thinking, I’m sure, was that as we have seen inflation fall, assumptions were made of the staff crisis easing.


But not so say our firms, it is still as dire as it has been and they can count the economic cost, day in and day out, in opportunities missed.


Future governments beware – this is a problem we are going to need to hear you pledging real solutions to on the soap box.


This is no polite challenge, but a serious economic need and our businesses need a response and a solution now.


Call us on 01254 356400 or visit chamberelancs.co.uk


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