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Somerset firms urged take on apprentices
CONSTRUCTION firms in Somerset are being urged to take on and train apprentices to help survive the economic downturn. ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, is advising employers across the region to continue to take on apprentices in order to remain competitive and be in the strongest possible position when the upturn begins. Even though apprentice applications are down this year on recent years, thousands more employers in England are still needed to match the demand for apprenticeship places, with 6,845 applications received so far and only 1,880 employer vacancies offered. But 740 employers and apprentices have been matched to date, which is the same number as this time in 2008. In the South-West 500 applications have been received to date with only 258 employer vacancies offered, but with 107 employers and apprentices having been matched to date. A total of 5,800 young people in England started an apprenticeship last year with ConstructionSkills. ConstructionSkills apprenticeships manager for the South-West, Gillian Cain, said: "Taking on an apprentice may feel like the last thing on your mind at the moment. "However, when times are tough, competition for contracts is even tougher. That's when a well-trained, extra pair of hands could make a real difference to your chances. "By offering a flexible resource that can help your business grow, an apprentice could be the best investment your business ever makes. It is vital that during these tough economic times valuable skills are not lost. We will continue to work closely with the house builders in particular who so far have been the most affected by the downturn." For details, click on www.cskills.org/apprenticeships.
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