COMMENT
Let’s get the young ‘uns in
C
hecking back on what I wrote in this column last year, it occurred to me that I could probably just repeat most of it. I won’t, obviously, well, not that much, but I am once again writing this in the middle of National Apprenticeship Week. This is a government initiative designed to highlight and promote the very many opportunities and benefits that an apprenticeship programme offers, to young people and employers. Now in its 17th year, the week showcased and celebrated apprenticeship employers, training providers, assessment organisations, apprentices, parents, schools, colleges and universities. It was about promoting the benefits of apprenticeships and showing the opportunities for progression and development.
As last year, although I’ve not been sent it this time round as it’s just for year 11 pupils, Robert Halfon, the Minister for Apprenticeships, has written to schools, encouraging them to join in with the week. His letter points out that 93% of apprentices that complete their programme remain in good jobs or go on to undertake further training. Median earnings for an apprentice at level 3 were £18,910 one year after achievement; rising 32% to £24,920 five years on. “We need more young people to seize these benefits.,” he writes.
The benefits aren’t just for the young people, of course. The Government provides up to 95% funding for employers to hire someone new or upskill an existing employee, meaning they can grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
This particular sector has already grasped the importance of apprenticeships of course. The BMF’s Apprenticeship Pledge aims to recruit 15,000 apprenticeships across the BMF
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EDITORIAL
Group Managing Editor: Fiona Russell Horne 01622 699101 07721 841382
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Production Controller: Nic Mandeville
membership by 2030, and is being supported by NMBS and a whole raft of merchants and suppliers.
I’ve seen a whole range of details coming through from NMBS about the apprentices joining their members, and we’ll be featuring these in a later issue.
Why wouldn’t anyone want to join this sector? It offers such a huge range of roles, from sales, marketing and finance, to kitchen design, logistics and IT, via engineering, product design and development, research and lorry-driving. It’s not all about yard-work and heaving packs of bricks about, though, if that’s your thing or your skill set, then there are plenty of roles for you. I know all that. You know all that. Schools and colleges, and crucially parents, don’t always, so it’s up to the sector to get out there and build those ties with the next generation. Time for a bit of a plug, well two, actually. Firstly, if you want to get involved with schools and younger people, introducing them to the joys of this sector, you could do a lot worse than looking at the Maddie Rose Campaign and Construction Youth Trust websites (www.
maddierosecampaign.org.uk) for inspiration. Secondly, those of you who do already have jolly fine apprentices that you want to reward and celebrate, head over to the BMJ Industry Awards website (
www.bmjindustryawards.
co.uk), where you can nominate them for our Apprentice/Trainee of the Year award. While you’re there, you might as well make some other nominations too. If we believe the headlines, this year is going to be hard, so we should take the chance to celebrate what’s good while we can.
Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ
“
Teach it but how, and thou shalt see how apt it is to learn. Any hard lesson that may do thee good.
William Shakespeare
CONTENTS 4 Newsround
The news from around the industry. 8 News Extra
IBMG launches its own exclusive brand.
13 Business Helpdesk The latest advice from the BMF’s business support partners.
10 People
Who’s moved where, and 10 minutes with… 11 Diversity
A look at the new BMF Women’s Forum 12 Rising Stars
Bradford’s Matti Hart, talks to BMJ about his role.
14 Viewpoint Our regular and guest columnists.
16 BMJ INDUSTRY AWARDS 2024 Nominations are now open
18 Merchant Focus Neil Lawrence talks about his time in merchanting
20 Business Strategy NMBS looks at the importance of ESG.
22 Timber
Trends, developments, investment and boosting timber construction
26 Company Focus 45 years of Palace Chemicals
28 IT
The Golden Thread. Delivery Apps and new portals
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Publisher: Paul Ryder
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical including photo-copying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher. The title Builders Merchants Journal is registered at Stationers’ Hall. Suppliers have contributed towards production costs of some photographs in this issue.
CIRCULATION
ABC audited average circulation
July 2018-June 2019: 7,801 SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK 1 year: £97 UK, 2 years: £164 Outside UK: one year £113/$204; two years: £196/$353
30 Drainage, Heating & Plumbing
The latest developments and trends, from recycling to the Clean Heat initiative
34 BMF Industry Voice The BMF’s own pages.
36 Product News
Latest products and developments from suppliers.
38 And Finally News and the Prize Crossword.
February 2024
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3 ”
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