Member Article

Three quarters of tradespeople want the industry to hire more apprentices

In a recent survey it was revealed that over 3/4 (78%) of tradespeople think it’s crucial the industry recruits more apprentices with 57% believing they are currently underutilised.

These findings come from a new survey by Dakea, a leading manufacturer of high-quality, affordable roof windows that are built for the trade, which questioned 500 roofers, installers and local contractors around the country about attitudes and opinions surrounding apprentices in the construction industry.

74 per cent of respondents said that they believe there needs to be more support for apprentices and the skilled workforce of tomorrow. In 2011, it was estimated that one in every five UK-born construction workers were aged 55 or older meaning that by next year, those people will be near retirement age causing a significant skills gap, something that can be remedied by apprentices.

However, the recruitment of apprentices can have significant benefits outside of the traditional construction job role. As the world looks to adopt more digital practices in the wake of COVID-19, ensuring those working in construction are adopting technology can have a significant impact on the success of a business. Despite this, only three quarters of the industry admitted they are fully comfortable with using technology compared with 100% of those that have been working in the industry for less than two years, who are most likely recently qualified tradespeople, highlighting the positive impact apprentices and digital natives can have on a business.

Undertaken as part of Dakea’s ‘Trade Matters’ campaign, the survey identifies the areas where the trade industry needs the most support in order to help the everyday life and businesses of roof window installers in the UK.

To make sure that tradespeople can help grow their business via the recruitment of apprentices, Dakea has created a selection of free guides that includes:

• How to hire your apprentices
• How to develop your apprentice
• Index of training collateral provided by Dakea

Mhairi McDougall, Country Manager UK and Ireland at Dakea, said: “The construction industry has been facing a skills gap for years, something that needs remedying to ensure we have enough skilled workers to meet industry demands in the near future:

“Having grown up around technology and social media, apprentices are digital natives making them best placed to help businesses adopt emerging technologies and futureproof businesses. Apprentices can offer a fresh perspective on potentially exhausted working practices and at Dakea, we believe that the more businesses invest in apprentices, the great reward they will see.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Daniel .