Spec Finish

Apprentices www.thefis.org 19 promoted the opportunity of having a qualification in drylining as a ticket allowing individuals to work worldwide and earn a good level of pay with the opportunity of establishing their own business. Now, we promote it as an industry that has great opportunities if you keep your head down, constantly learn, help others and develop your skill. Providing apprentices with a clear set of rules and standing by these is critical to identifying those who will persevere with the two years of training. Trades and apprenticeships can still be viewed as ‘taboo’ topics from a careers perspective, and this is primarily due to our industry’s lack of marketing to schools and communities, so it is up to all of us as leaders and the wider construction community to do more. We visit secondary schools and meet with pupils who are at GCSE and A Level stage to explain the opportunities available within our sector and Errigal specifically. We also hold information nights where parents and pupils meet staff and current apprentices and see the opportunities available. We advertise on our social media platforms and we attend recruitment fairs in local council boroughs. So, by the day of the interview the training team have met with applicants a few times. Interviews involve a practical exercise in the workshop and a sit down chat, we look for energy, enthusiasm and a hunger to learn, successful applicants are given an Errigal contract of employment. What is your success rate? Our success rate over the past five years is 49%; 208 started the apprenticeship, 102 completed and 78 are either still in training or working for the company. Around 22% of these apprentices have the capability of becoming supervisors and managers. We guarantee a full-time job to every apprentice who completes the training course and gains the qualification. Starting a new job can be dauting, particularly when it’s your first, so how do you help new entrants settle in? There is a statement on the wall of the Errigal Academy that says: ‘you are the most important person in your life’. Getting young people to believe this, understand it and live it is the core value of our first two years developmental training. It is important that young people understand that it’s ok to fail but more important, that they get back up. We include social development and communication skills and we also put them through cognitive ability and critical thinking tests as a part of their development. Respect is very important at Errigal; respect for others, respect for yourself and responsibility for your actions. We encourage a good work ethic and create the understanding that working hard and working smart pays off. It is extremely important that apprentices are well prepared before they go on site. The time spent in our training academy initially focuses on site conditioning such as site hours, site set up, PPE, clocking in and out, yellow card and red card systems, Health and Safety, phone zones and toolbox talks. Everything that an apprentice will encounter on site is incorporated into life at the academy. When the apprentices go to site, we operate a buddy system where they are teamed up with an experienced fixer who they will learn from every day. Our training is delivered in block placements so the first visit to site is generally for four weeks and each time they go out that period of time is extended – this certainly eases young people into the working environment. How do you maintain good relationships with main contractors and ensure the most applicable learning experience is available for the apprentice on site? We make the main contractor aware of our training regime and what it involves to give Brendan Duddy, gold medallist at WorldSkills 2019 Brendan Duddy competes against Curtis Johnson (WorldSkills UK Team Kazan, Russia 2018) in a Pressure Test at Errigal Academy