| Constuction industry urged to take on apprentices |
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| Wednesday, 20 June 2007 | |
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ConstuctionSkills is promoting a new, modern apprenticeship for the construction industry - a bid to tackle the large number of recruits missed out on last year.
Figures released by ConstructionSkills show that the industry missed out on 12,000 recruits due to the shortage of vacancies offered by employers. In response to this it has introduced Programme Led Apprenticeships (PLAs), a new complementary route to traditional apprenticeships. PLAs allow young people to complete a full-time college-based construction course before completing the practical aspects, required to attain NVQ Level 2, through a continuous placement of up to 12 months with an employer - a much shorter time commitment for businesses than traditional apprenticeships. “There are hundreds of quality young people on ConstructionSkills Apprenticeships’ books who have already passed selection tests and are eager to work in the industry,” said director of ConstructionSkills Apprenticeship Max Hamps. “Unfortunately many firms still think that taking on an apprentice is costly or time consuming, or that drop out rates are high, but over 70 per cent ConstructionSkills apprentices have some of the best completion rates in the industry. “We also offer a wide range of financial support and advice available for companies who take up the opportunity. We are calling on all construction businesses to consider taking on apprentices.”
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