HIRING APPRENTICES
Despite noting the “super helpful” CITB representative who supported Bailey, he says the requirements of taking on apprentices have been challenging. “Maybe it’s because I had never done it before but I didn’t find it easy to organise as a small company. No one tells you what to do. It felt siloed. You sort out one bit here and another over there but not with the same person. When you’re running a small company, the last thing you need is extra admin. To be honest, there have been moments when I have doubted whether I’d go through with it again.” Navigating challenges Of course, apprentices can help the business, and the business can help apprentices, but it’s not all straightforward. Preece points out that there are challenges. To overcome as many as possible, he has certain rules. For a start, he says, “We recruit apprentices who are over 18 and who can drive. Logistically, this is the only way we can accommodate the role effectively, given the need to travel to various sites and manage the demands of the business.” Additional challenges include: ● Balancing the time required for “Apprentices often bring energy and a willingness to adapt, which can be contagious for the entire team. It’s satisfying to see their confidence grow.”
“While many are enthusiastic and committed others can seem uninterested or disillusioned with the hard work required in the trade,” Preece reveals. “It’s crucial to identify those who have the drive and passion to succeed. Bailey’s challenge was managing his own expectations. “I was expecting them to be a bit more ‘get up and go’ and make sure their coursework was as good as the work they were doing on site. “I met with their tutors and found out they were behind on their coursework. In the end, I delegated this to my brother-in-law who works for me. He’s a former Marine and managed to get the importance of the issue across to them. He checked in regularly and kept them on track.” Bailey says hiring apprentices can also be costly. One of his apprentices needed to retake a mathematics course before he could move into the second year of study, which meant he was off site during summer for two weeks – and Bailey needed to pay him. “No one from the college flagged that with me. Why schedule the course in the middle of the busiest period for builders? I’m a guy down every day, so in effect, it’s even more money, because you have all the other knock on-effects like finding and paying someone else to do the work.” The value of hindsight Reflecting on the first apprentice Preece took on, it’s clear that knowing what he does today would have helped back then. “I wish I had better understood the full scope of the training requirements, including the commitment to their college attendance and the support they need during assessments,” Preece says. “It’s also important to recognise the financial investment required, including over 50 days of paid college attendance and more than four weeks of paid holidays. “For small businesses, this is a significant outlay, especially with the recent additional taxes. These rising costs are making it harder for smaller companies to recruit apprentices, which could have a worrying impact on the industry’s future.”
idea. They learn the theory at college and apply it practically at work.” Reflecting on his own career, Bailey says he wishes someone had done something like this for him when he was younger. “I have no real paperwork to my name, and I thought this could be good for them. And it could be good for us if they stay on with the business.” A positive contagion Hiring apprentices can be mutually beneficial: new recruits learn skills on the job and businesses enjoy the energy of enthusiasm and new perspectives. “The major benefits,” says Preece, “include fostering loyalty within the team, introducing fresh ideas, and having a direct role in shaping their skills. Apprentices often bring energy and a willingness to adapt, which can be contagious for the entire team. It’s satisfying to see their confidence and independence grow.” A positive for Bailey is the “linear form of progression” that comes from apprenticeships. Due to his company being small and their work varied, he says his apprentices could be on a refurbishment project for 12-18 months during which they might hang a door but then won’t do it again until the next job several months away. “We quickly became aware that they needed a base level of theoretical knowledge or programming, which is what the coursework includes. We knew they’d come out of the apprenticeship with the gaps in their knowledge filled.”
apprentices’ training with the company’s project deadlines
● Providing apprentices with close supervision, especially in the early stages, which can slow down work ● Finding the right person who truly wants to be part of the company and who is eager to develop their skills to progress.
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Master Builder
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