edge research conference 14 th november 2014 #edgeresearchconference
TRANSCRIPT
Edge Research Conference
14th November 2014
#EdgeResearchConference
STEM related Apprenticeship Provision in England: The views of employers and
other stakeholders
Colin McCaig
CEIR, Sheffield Hallam University
Edge Research Conference
14 November 2014
Birmingham NEC
Outline of presentation
• Supply and demand picture• The qualitative study• Employer recruitment of apprentices• The role of apprentices in the organisation• Factors inhibiting demand• Models to stimulate employer demand• Conclusions
Supply and demand for STEM Apprenticeships
• High value-added sectors of the economy have a relatively high demand for STEM skills (e.g. advanced manufacturing, construction, finance, health, etc.)
• Even if employment in an industry is contracting, the level of replacement demands are often relatively high
• Employers have degree of choice about how they obtain STEM skills (e.g. Apprenticeship versus graduate recruitment)
• What is known about employer demand for STEM Apprenticeships? And what do we know about supply?
Highest qualification of these working in STEM occupations
The supply of STEM Apprenticeships (1)
Whether have Apprentices (% of employers)
Yes No Total
Manufacturing 14 86 100
Construction 13 86 100
Telecoms, IT and R&D 11 89 100
All STEM 13 87 100
All non-STEM 9 90 100
The study - qualitative
• We carried out a total of 79 interviews during the May-June period
• Some of the interviews were as part of 15 case studies - Some were telephone interviews - Carried out a short email survey of GTAs
• Also interviewed 14 'stakeholders' as part of interim report so - 93 people in all contributed to this study
• Key questions: how can supply be stimulated?• what are the barriers?
Employer recruitment of apprentices
• Employers were looking for suitably qualified young people (5 GCSEs or more) with an interest in the industry / occupation they were entering
• In general, employers had little difficulty recruiting their STEM apprentices (especially so amongst larger organisations)
• Smaller employers – or those in non-traditional STEM industries – tended to experience more difficulty because larger organisations tended to have first pick of suitably qualified apprentices
• Some employers in engineering had concerns over the mathematics skills of apprentices – they wanted their recruits ideally to be more mathematically prepared
The role of the apprentice in the organisation
• In general, graduate and apprentices roles were distinct in organisations– Graduates were there to fill professional / managerial roles– Apprentices to fill manual / first line management roles
• Making the jump from apprenticeship into management was possible but not expected
• Level 4 Apprenticeships may be used to equip apprentices to fill technician level roles rather than professional ones
• In traditional STEM sectors, the separate roles of apprentices and graduates had developed over time
Factors inhibiting demand• For large companies in traditional STEM sectors, there were no
factors inhibiting demand other than the overall level of demand for good and services
• For smaller companies, with little experience of recruiting apprentices a number of factors constrained demand:– Uncertainty about future levels of business demand, especially
where contracts were of short duration– A degree of uncertainty over what the apprentice may bring to
the business and whether they would stay– Concerns about the potential cost versus the benefits
• The above views were derived from employers which had recruited apprentices but were still uncertain about how Apprenticeships would work out in practice - employers without Apprenticeships mirrored these concerns
Stimulating demand• How to reduce uncertainty:• Group training
– Evidence that this removed much of the risk from those employers which were uncertain about the fit between Apprenticeships and their businesses
• But this potentially passes on the risk to other bodies• Using existing capacity to develop Apprenticeships
– Several large employers/consortia of employers had their own large-scale training centres
– Evidence that some other local employers were using these facilities to train their apprentices
• So there is the potential to use any excess training capacity in larger firms to train STEM apprentices
Conclusion
• If supply is meeting demand it is finely balanced• Employers have the supply to meet expected output
demand because the cost of training in excess of demand is too expensive
• But should there be a sudden increase in demand, then shortages may well occur
• Employers pointed to national infrastructure projects often attracting many skilled employees and high quality apprentices thereby depleting their supply
• But employers are risk averse because of the relatively high cost of training young people in STEM subjects
• So the key question is how to mitigate that risk
Edge Research Conference
14th November 2014
#EdgeResearchConference
Creating an Inclusive Apprenticeship Offer
Caroline BerryHead of Learning for Work and Head of
Research
Charlotte RobeyResearcher
14 November 2014
• Aim of the project• Policy context:
– Involving employers in shaping skills provision and delivery– Focus on Apprenticeships: new approaches and increasing
numbers– Issues with access and quality– Fall in proportion of apprentices with a learning difficulty
and/or disability
Introduction and background
• Literature review• Online survey• Telephone interviews• Case study visits• Employers involved were small, medium and large
businesses and covered a range of sectors
Research methodology
• 35% of survey respondents had hired a disabled apprentice• Advertised vacancies in a range of places• Worked with partner organisations• Reasonable adjustments at interview and initial assessment• On the job support• Support to progress• Barriers to recruiting disabled apprentices• Support to overcome barriers
Findings
• Alan Cooper Cabinetmaker• Barclays Bank PLC• Enable Housing Association• Leicester City Council• Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Trust• tpm and the Dyslexia Foundation
Case studies
www.employer-toolkit.org.uk
www.niace.org.uk
Further information and contact details
Edge Research Conference
14th November 2014
#EdgeResearchConference
Providing work experience: how do we achieve high-quality placements? David Sims and Sarah Lynch
Edge Research Conference 2014
Work experience trials
• 25 pilot FE colleges testing models of work experience delivery:Removing cost barriers for employers Investigating challenges faced by SMEs Extra resources for colleges Exploring timing of placementsSupporting LLDD
• Funding from DfE of £177k over two years (2011-12/2012-13)
?
Methods:
- Initial scoping study - Ten case studies - Analysis of Management Information and financial data
Evaluation aims and methods:
Aims:
To evaluate the different models of work experience for post-16 students, exploring the implementation process, impact on students and employers, and identifying lessons learned – what works/implications for providing successful, quality work experience?
Nature and location of work experience
Preparation: : CVs, interview skills, matching students and employers, preparing students for the real world
Location: all case-study colleges offered external placements with employers, most also offered internal placements at the college
Type of work experience: predominately ‘vocational’, but examples of ‘extended’ placements/Supported Internship model for LLDD students; real-world and purposeful
Flexible timing: Mix of blocks and separate days across colleges
Models: combination of models, most often resources to employ a coordinator or support for LLDD
Employer engagement • Trial helped to increase and enhance employer
engagement • Role of coordinator crucial in developing and maintaining
relationships with employers• Having a broad range of employers, in terms of size and
scope, was seen as important, in order to provide a variety of placements
• Employers see it as corporate social responsibility – to link with community and develop future workforce
• Incentives for employers not used/needed • Obstacles: some sectors; misunderstandings about
insurance liabilities; health and safety
Impact of the trial• On students:
Development of skills/behaviours necessary to make them ‘work ready’ (team work, communication, confidence, attendance)
Positive impact on LLDD: confidence, independence, behaviour Some students gained employment
• On colleges: Changed ethos e.g. centralised/holistic approach to work
experience; increased relationships with employers; increased provision/numbers benefiting
• On employers: Developing future workforce; extra capacity; CPD of own staff;
meeting corporate social responsibilities
Success factors: steps to take in providing quality work experience
5. Prior preparation of employer (inc. setting aims)
6. Ensure support is in place for student, inc. LLDD
7. Monitoring and reflection
8. Feedback to employers
1. Appointment of coordinator
2. Be flexible with timing of work experience
3. Match students and employers carefully
4. Prior preparation of student
For further information:
The NFER website: http://www.nfer.ac.uk
The evaluation report: http://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/WEXX01
David Sims [email protected]
Sarah Lynch [email protected]
Edge Research Conference
14th November 2014
#EdgeResearchConference