IC-JUL-AUG22-PG34+35_Layout 1 29/07/2022 10:30 Page 34


TRAINING I


nvestment in apprenticeships has remained resilient in the face of the pandemic according to a new report.


In-Comm Training’s 3rd annual Training


Barometer revealed that 67 per cent of companies had taken on apprentices during the last twelve months, whilst a staggering 97 per cent kept all their learners on despite the pressures of Covid-19. The confidence extends into the future, with


more than two thirds of businesses committing to taking on an apprentice over the next year (up from 47 per cent in 2021), with 69 per cent giving employees the opportunity to progress learning all the way to an HNC or Degree. There were, however, some concerns in the


report, which featured 105 companies from aerospace, automotive, distribution, general engineering and professional services. The impact of the pandemic had resulted in


nearly a third of companies cutting back on their training spend and barriers to embarking down the vocational route continue to be dominated by a lack of in-house infrastructure and understanding of all the different apprenticeship standards currently out there. “These results show a massive shift change from


last year with companies reaffirming their commitment to investing in vocational learning, underlining the major strides apprenticeships have made over the last few years and the value management teams place in them,” explains Gareth Jones, managing director of In-Comm Training. “Despite all of the pressures, the turmoil and


the restrictions, bosses believed it was vital to retain existing learners and, importantly, continue to invest in new ones as they didn’t want to be hit with a skills gap when the recovery started.” He continues: “This is none more pertinent than


training, inflation & apprenticeships


34 July/august 2022 | industrial compliance


in engineering, where there is a lack of talent and the people that are out there are demanding extortionate wages. Growing your own is the only sustainable way of getting around this situation and those that held their nerve during the pandemic have come out of it better.


report shows appetite for apprenticeships remains strong, but inflation a worry for employers looking to attract and retain staff


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