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NEWS EXTRA A TRAINING LEAP FORWARDS


The BMF has appointed LEAP as new full-service providers of the BMF Apprenticeships Plus service. LEAP, which stands for Learn as you Earn Apprenticeship Programmes, work exclusively in the construction supply sector. The Members’ Day seminar went into more details, as Anjali Sooknanan reports.


LEAP will be delivering 12 Apprenticeship programmes for the BMF from Level 2 to Level 5 including Trade Supplier, Hire Controller, Fitted Furniture Design Technician (Kitchens and Bathrooms), Sales and Management. LEAP has built sector-specific apprenticeship programmes designed by merchants for merchants. As well as their apprenticeship programmes, LEAP will be working with the BMF to develop a suite of early career programmes to help education leavers and career changers to join the sector. Each programme is designed around the specialist needs of the sector to help all learners reach their full potential. Every apprentice is supported, from day one, by an Apprentice Coach to build their skills, knowledge, and behaviours to help them develop their career.


Retention vs Recruitment


Frank Elkins, Chief Operating Officer at Travis Perkins spoke about his own experience as a product of an apprenticeship programme. “Let’s not talk about employment, let’s talk about retention of our colleagues.


There is a bit of a preconception that apprenticeships are just for the young but they’re open to everybody. Our labour turnover rate over the last 2-3 years has increased considerably. Before you think about recruitment, think about retention. Think about the colleagues you have in your business today and what you are doing for them to get new skills, to learn and to develop. Why are they staying with you when they could develop elsewhere? There’s a real business common sense to do this.” With 8,000-10,000 people leaving the sector every year and only 2,000 of those replaced through apprenticeship schemes, Elkins highlights the importance of introducing a new pool of talent to the sector. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I’ve been frustrated that we don’t grab the opportunity to do things differently and modernise the industry. We’re never going to get rid of relationships, and the importance of relationships in our sector. But the digitisation of our industry, how we market to customers, product information and data, modern methods of construction; the marketplace is


changing. I don’t have the skillset for that, I need a diverse skillset to come into the business. We need a new way of thinking coming into the business,” he says.


Support


As well as the work it does with the BMF, LEAP is also the apprenticeship delivery team to the Travis Perkins Group. Asa Barnett joined the Travis Perkins apprenticeship programme six and a half years ago. “I left university with no idea of what I wanted to do and the opportunity came up to do a Level 3 apprenticeship in Travis Perkins. It changed my life. The regional director at the time was brilliant, he showed me parts of the business and helped me progress. I did the Level 3 quite quickly and was given the opportunity by the regional director to take the next stage in my career as an ABM. I took the opportunity to take over one of our bigger branches in Exeter, and whilst doing so I started the Level 5 apprenticeship.”


“I sat down with Kieran Griffin, managing director of Travis Perkins, over Zoom to talk about my career and where I wanted to progress. He told me to take every opportunity and that’s how


he got to where he is today. I was then put in front of the regional directors and managers to tell them my story and where I want to progress which was fantastic. It made me feel like the hard work I was putting in to get the qualifications was being appreciated, and it made me want to work harder. What the business did for me made me want to work during the day and go home and complete my qualifications,” he adds.


Barnett was then contacted by Buildbase, which is part of Huws Gray, and has progressed through the business to become a Sales Development Manager. From the organisation of the programme to the accounts and constantly-changing funding rules, apprenticeships can be difficult. However, LEAP can simplify the process and support businesses with the sign-up information, recruitment and advertising. We’re currently facing retention challenges with a competitive market and a significant number of people leaving the sector, as well as training challenges with the rising cost to train new people. Apprenticeships can be part of the solution. BMJ


10


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2022www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2021


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