Access

Entry level apprenticeships can offer young people a hands-on approach to starting work. For those facing disadvantage, it’s an opportunity to develop skills and gain experience to help them get ahead. However, a shift in the way employers are using apprenticeships within their businesses and misconceptions amongst young people about them means tomorrow’s workforce is missing out on key skills and development opportunities.

A lack of careers outreach is resulting in opportunities falling to those better informed on apprenticeships and those already in work. Figures for 2021/22 show ‘higher’ and ‘advanced level’ apprenticeships account for almost 70% of apprenticeship starts in England, suggesting that a high number of employers are focused on upskilling existing staff rather than recruiting early careers professionals.

Outreach

Apprenticeships have the opportunity to support social mobility, with research from The Social Mobility Commission revealing that ‘disadvantaged workers who complete an apprenticeship enjoy a bigger boost to earnings than their more privileged peers, meaning apprenticeships have their part to play in closing the class pay gap’. However, there’s a clear communication problem when it comes to apprenticeships, as evidenced by Uptree’s recent student survey amongst 16–21 year-olds. Only 55% of students thought that their knowledge of apprenticeships was either ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

Employers within Facilities Management looking to reach younger talent and diversify their workforce have a role to play in generating awareness of their business and career opportunities amongst young people. The pandemic shone a light on the often underrepresented sector, so now could be the ideal time for employers in this space to consider further careers outreach.

Benefits

The benefits of engaging the younger generation into Facilities Management roles through apprenticeships are many. The younger generation bring a wealth of technological know-how which could benefit them over the aging workforce in FM. They also bring fresh perspectives and expectations for their employers on inclusion, sustainability and social responsibility which will help drive organisations forward.

Building a highly skilled and motivated workforce is crucial in order for businesses to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic. FM businesses have long been struggling with a skills shortage, and will need people to come in at all levels to take on skills they may not already have had. Early careers professionals are keen to take what they’ve learnt in education and put it into practice, making them the perfect candidates for training in line with the needs of the business and taking on the exact skills and roles that an organisation lacks.

Apprenticeship schemes can offer the structured career progression and development opportunities that the younger generation look for and provide the skilled workforce that employers need. Employers who take the time to nurture young professionals could see improved levels of staff retention.

Support

It’s recommended through the Gatsby Benchmarks that every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. For many organisations, however, running effective outreach programmes in house to engage schools and students can be daunting and expensive, with the need for specialist expertise and extensive resources.

Uptree helps to support organisations with careers outreach by connecting its network of over 165,000 young people with employers through assemblies, workshops, work experience days, networking events and application masterclasses. This is the first step in raising awareness and inspiring the younger generation on their path from education to employment. It’s through these events that young people are supported too, from learning about the broad range of careers available to them, to developing essential employability skills, such as CV writing and interview techniques. Barriers to employment, that are often associated with students from underrepresented communities, are removed and students feel inspired to take their first steps to employment.

Born out of the urgent need to enable students to gain exposure to potential employers, Uptree connects a diverse pool of student talent with leading employers, including Arm, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, GCHQ, IBM, J.P. Morgan and PwC, with many recruiting for their apprenticeship schemes.

To learn more about how Uptree is supporting young people and employers, please visit Uptree.co or contact Dilys (Dilys@uptree.co).

300 North are the Facilities Management recruitment experts providing permanent, temporary and interim solutions to the UK Facilities Management, Mechanical & Electrical and Construction sectors. Get in touch to find out how we can help you with your recruitment needs by visiting our website homepage or calling us on 0113 336 5161.