In conjunction with National Apprenticeship Week (March 14-18 2016), recent findings from a poll of 1,830 homeowners across England and Wales by the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), have found that attitudes towards apprenticeships appear to have shifted in recent years.
Eighty six per cent of people agree that school leavers should be encouraged to consider an apprenticeship rather than being pushed into the Higher Education route, with only two per cent disagreeing. Four in five of people questioned viewed the ability to learn and earn at the same time as a key opportunity provided by an apprenticeship, with 78% feeling it’s a valuable stepping-stone to a good job and 77% placing importance on professional training. Nineteen per cent of respondents acknowledged that higher education is not suited to everyone, while other perceived benefits included: better chance of getting a job, the opportunity to gain a broader experience of life within the workplace and the chance to learn a useful skill. Some respondents felt that too much emphasis is placed on degrees and not enough value given to practical careers. Many recognised that we have a real shortage of skilled trades, with high levels of student debt associated with degrees and university perceived as a negative while apprentices will be earning as they train.
Despite this, negative opinions still remain around apprenticeships, with low pay the most cited reason for discouraging an apprenticeship. A legacy of educational ‘snobbery’ may still remain, with feedback that degrees encourage children to raise academic achievement along with a feeling that apprenticeship standards have fallen – a claim which APHC argues doesn’t fit with modern apprenticeship standards.
Nearly a third wished they had enrolled on an apprenticeship when they’d left school, with this being highest in the 35-54-age bracket and geographically higher in the East Midlands and Wales.
Despite plumbing and heating being half way down a list of aspirational careers, the trade remains one of the most sought after apprenticeships, with around 5,500 plumbing apprentices enrolling on a course in England and Wales in 2015. The industry has a long history of training on the job, as practical skills play a vital role in skills development alongside learning at a college or training centre.
The campaign is backed by 2015 Apprentice winner, Joseph Valente, who undertook a plumbing apprenticeship at 16 and went on to establish Impra Gas Ltd at the age of 22. Joseph said: “From experience I can say the benefits from undertaking an apprenticeship are huge. I was given an opportunity when I was 16 with a local Peterborough plumber, which progressed to a qualified gas fitter and then starting my own business. My apprenticeship has provided the foundation to found a successful business in an industry I’m passionate about. Plumbing is sometimes seen as a career for those who are less academic but it’s a highly skilled job that requires diverse skills including maths and science, quick thinking and endless problem solving.”
In the next two years Joseph has plans to take on a number of apprentices at Impra Gas, to train and develop a new generation of plumbers.
John Thompson, chief executive at APHC, added: “These findings are encouraging in showing the shift of attitude towards vocational on the job training, after many years of apprenticeships being seen as the poor relation to higher education. Tuition fees and the rising cost of higher education in recent years leaves many graduates thousands of pounds in debt, with no guarantees of a job in a competitive job market whereas apprentices are earning while learning valuable skills to get a head start.
“We’re working in collaboration with the government, training providers, leading employers and apprentices to ensure modern apprenticeships meet the need of all parties and newly qualified staff are ready to take on the challenges of the plumbing industry.”