RAND’s Post

Happy National Apprenticeship Week! I am excited to share recent RAND work with Ellyn Terry, Jeffrey Wenger, and Melanie Zaber, Ph.D., which explores the role of construction apprenticeship in addressing the industry's skilled labor shortage. We find that apprenticeship and other existing workforce pathways are only able to meet half of the projected labor demand. Despite significant growth in construction apprenticeships, capacity constraints and high non-completion rates are limiting their potential. If these issues are not addressed, construction workforce challenges are likely to persist. Some key findings:  · Experts estimate a need for 500,000 additional construction workers in 2024. · Apprenticeship enrollment has doubled, yet worker demand still outpaces supply. ·  · Capacity is scattered: one-third of construction apprenticeship programs host only one apprentice. · Completion rates are abysmal: 40 percent of construction apprentices will drop out To read the full report, visit https://lnkd.in/gwh-qdFR I welcome your thoughts on this work, particularly as we plan to expand our research work on apprenticeship in the near future.

The construction industry is facing a major challenge. 🏗️ A recent Rand Corporation report confirms that registered apprenticeship programs aren’t meeting the demand for skilled labor in our industry. To fill the growing labor gap, nearly half of U.S. high school graduates would need to choose careers in construction—a goal that’s neither realistic nor achievable. This is a system-wide problem that calls for action from contractors, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders. ABC has long supported an "all-of-the-above" workforce strategy—allowing workers and employers to choose the best approaches to build America. By combining government-registered apprenticeships with alternative pathways such as just-in-time task training and competency-based programs, our industry can effectively address workforce shortages. It's also exactly why Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Western Michigan Chapter supports the West Michigan Construction Institute. Together, we're creating the workforce the construction industry needs. Read more here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2mGQi7F #GrowingTheIndustry #Apprenticeships #WorkforceDevelopment 

My latest for the Center for American Progress on a #Project2025 proposal to weaken the registered apprenticeship system. Instead of weakening apprenticeships, policymakers should invest more in the existing system, which benefits workers and employers alike, and leads to good jobs with higher-than-average wages.

Over 278,000 people across the country embarked on an apprenticeship across all sectors during the last academic year (August 2023 to April 2024). In the Midlands alone, more than 55,000 individuals started their apprenticeship journey, with a quarter of them under the age of 19. As many young people receive their GCSE results today and consider their next steps, civil engineering organisations should reflect on the benefits of hiring apprentices: 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Smaller employers can receive government funding that covers 95% to 100% of apprentice training costs. CITB-registered employers can also receive £2,500 per year for attendance whilst completing the apprenticeship, and a £3,500 achievement grant on successful completion of the full apprenticeship. 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Businesses may be eligible for further funding if the apprentice is of a certain age, has an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan, or is a care leaver. 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Organisations won’t need to pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 if they are on an approved apprenticeship standard. Hiring young apprentices not only contributes positively to the business's bottom line but also offers apprentices the invaluable opportunity to earn while they learn. 🖇 You can find more information on hiring apprentices at the following links: https://lnkd.in/e_GJw_H https://lnkd.in/eV_nCGFC Best of luck to everyone receiving their results today! 🎉 #Apprenticeship #GCSEResults #CivilsCareers

Read our response by our Head of Policy, Beatrice Barleon to apprenticeship start figures, published today by the Department for Education… “Although there has only been a small increase in the number of apprenticeships starts in the engineering and technology sectors (1.6%), it is encouraging to see that more women are entering the engineering and technology workforce via this route. 17% of all apprenticeship starts in the sector are by women, compared to 15.7% last year, with 16,980 female apprenticeship starts overall. However, in light of the government’s focus on opening up more opportunities for all young people, it is concerning to see the continued decline and plateauing of Level 2 and 3 engineering and technology apprenticeships. Level 2 apprenticeships have declined a further 8.7% over the last year and stand now at 21,900 compared to 45,800 starts in 2017/18, while level 3 apprenticeship starts have remained stable with only a small increase of 1%. "For government to achieve its mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower we need more young people coming through the education and skills system into the workforce. And for government to achieve and break down barriers to opportunity, we need these young people to come from diverse backgrounds and be more representative of society. Only then will we solve the skills shortages across the country. "We therefore need more apprenticeship opportunities to open up and look to government to work with industry and young people to achieve this.” https://lnkd.in/eqkSwgWv

The RIBA, Royal Town Planning Institute, The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and RICS - representing 200,000 built environment professionals - have issued a joint statement calling for built environment Level 7 apprenticeships to be exempt from reforms in access to the Growth and Skills Levy. This unified stance emphasises how these apprenticeships are vital for: • Meeting the government's target of 1.5 million new homes • Accelerating the path to net zero • Addressing critical sector skills shortages • Widening access to built environment professions • Increasing diversity in the sector The bodies warn that without levy funding access, organisations will struggle to support and deliver essential training, impacting the sector's capacity to meet government growth targets. Read the full statement: https://ow.ly/2Wwh50UC0I2 #Construction #BuildingIndustry #Apprenticeships #Skills #ProfessionalDevelopment

Some interesting new ideas to tackle the skills shortages in the construction sector and particularly within house building published today: https://lnkd.in/dPRT_dSt Overlaying this against this excellent report by NOCN Group from September this year which highlights some real challenges the sector faces which needs 90k new entrants each year to meet the construction skills gap. Attraction remains a real challenge as the apprenticeship starts below clearly highlights. But then those achieving remain very low. Too many apprentices develop in-demand high value practical skills and drop out of their apprenticeship early. Never good for a provider’s QAR, but that’s another challenge… Will accelerated apprenticeships help? Yes possibly, but as with other sectors or specific occupations is a full fat apprenticeship always the answer? Look forward to seeing how Skills England views this conundrum as we edge towards understanding more on what the new Growth and Skills Levy will fund. Here’s a link to the NOCN report: https://lnkd.in/dVspJjZc #Construction #AskAshworth Graham Hasting-Evans AELP #SkillsEngland

Very useful insights and the really critical information is a) why they drop out and b) what they do then?

Apprenticeship Lottery I don't normally start posts but I feel that something needs to be said about the current state of Apprenticeships. My youngest son finished school just after lockdown ended and went straight into a construction trade Apprenticeship with a local college. He's done 3yrs to NVQ3 level in joinery, to find any companies wanting apprentices want them straight out of school or with experience. The colleges arrange a few wks work experience, but they don't really get enough proper experience like older Apprenticeship schemes did. It's made me look at other trades and they're all the same. When will people in the training industry realise that they're students need more real life experience as the current apprentices being turned out ready qualified, but practically useless without experience. Some larger construction companies have had to take action and insist on their own training regimes with workplace experience heavily used. There are a few exceptions out there but not enough.