Quality delivery staff….
Those of you whom follow me on social media know, I’ve just finished a fortnight back in industry, spending a few days with a gang of Bricklayers in Swindon, a team of first and second fix Carpenters working on a church in Bristol and lastly an Electrical & Mechanical installation gang in Exeter, completing a boiler install for a Local Authority set of flats…
My thirst to get back into industry, has been fuelled by an innovative partnership at my last assignment via the AOC. During this time, I witnessed real industry training, being readily available, delivered by Anglian Water to the staff from The College of West Anglia....
Having myself, a fresh view of three Blue Chip, First Tier Construction Contractors, I’ve certainly seen some ‘wow factor’ moments, in regards to how things have moved on since I was last anywhere near a building site…
In today’s modern world, new techniques and innovative technology are enabling what was thought to be impossible – now possible..!
It’s crucial all delivery staff working in education or training particularly in both the construction and engineering sectors, however this ethos should run across all disciplines, have the relevant skills being used in industry today, to pass on to future generations, via either Full Time Courses or Apprenticeships…
There is a whole saga surrounding the roll out of the new Apprenticeship Standards, however this is the future, whether we like it or not and Lecturers’, Technicians and Area Leaders employed delivering training and education of a future workforce of their surroundings, have to be skilled and current in their knowledge to be able to teach industry up to date, relevant education.
There are simply two staffing options….
a) either upskill your present staff, get them back into their arena of expertise, which means investment of time for them to spend a couple of weeks in industry updating /..or
b) retrain trades persons with an offer of an attractive package to step into education with up-skilling in their competence in delivery with appropriate mentors in place
Either way something has to change, I’m witnessing far to many Colleges allowing their workshops and staff rooms becoming, as one colleague put it at the start of the year, ‘Gods waiting room’..! Staff delivering for sure need to be given the time to up-skill in their trade, which brings in another discussion around affordability and staff utilisation, but we won’t digress – but more importantly, staff need to be able and must want to up-skill..!
This also must run parallel to the Colleges preferred supply, in regards to working with education recruiters. I’ve witnessed, nationwide whilst on assignment, temporary staff being supplied with out the latest industry knowledge, just recently staff being supplied to cover the new apprenticeship standards without the latest up-dated-knowledge towards EPA. This sort of situation has an impact on the learner, whom is attending the course or apprenticeship and there begins to be a lack of continuity for the learner, parent carer and in some cases the employer. All due to the wrong appointment and subsequent replacements. Eventually, quality within the provisions suffer and reputational damage is unavoidable….
I’ve been privileged to be supported by some super Business representatives these last few weeks, to see what it’s like to work in industry today as opposed to 20 years ago, however I’ve had to hunt for it, search for the contacts and network to learn…I wanted it….!
I’ve always said it’s a privileged position to be in front of young people teaching them, life’s one big learning adventure but you need to want to explore and have the humility we don’t know it all…..
Change and growth is so painful. But its so necessary for us to evolve says Sarah MacLachlan and my blistered hands in the hottest summer in years can vouch for that….
Colleges need to factor in CPD and skilled staff, the cost and implication of doing nothing to their local area, particularly around LMI and curriculum planning which I’ve covered in a previous blogs…
Food for thought…
Bob Rose August 2018