Page 39 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

37
Difficult Roles to Recruit
The vast majority of employers engaged with the process reported that they experienced difficulties in recruiting for specific roles. These roles are detailed below;
Micro/Small
Young engineers
Engineering Trades
Qualified electricians
Masons
Bricklayers
Quantity Surveyors
Medium
Quantity Surveyors
Site Operatives
Contracts & Project Managers
Trade, Technical
& Professional Roles
Large
HGV Drivers
Skilled Operatives
Engineering/ Commerical Staff
The Work-readiness of New Entrants to the Sector
The lack of work experience offered to learners during their courses poses many issues for employers with just over half of those surveyed reporting that new entrants to the sector are not work ready. A particular criticism is the very limited experience provided to learners in the use of hand tools, this results in a learner who has the accredited qualification required for the role but no idea of how to put this knowledge into practice on a live site.
‘Education programmes for trade, technical and professional roles do not fully equip applicants for the workplace.’
‘Many apprentices between 16 and 18 years of age lack skills which involve the use of basic hand tools.’
There are examples of good practice to be seen in the region, such as initiatives which focus on the development of Apprentices, however, by the employer’s own admission such initiatives are limited and more personal development is required from the learners’ perspective before they are able to fully contribute to business operations.
A model currently being delivered in Bryngwyn and Glanymor secondary schools sees learners developing their level 1 and 2 qualifications in Construction in partnership with Coleg Sir Gar. A purpose built site located at the school allows these young people to develop their practical and on-site skills. This aligns well with the demand from employers for learners to have more ‘hands- on’ experience on leaving education.43
Numeracy, Literacy & ICT Skills
Analysis indicates that the standard of numeracy, literacy and ICT skills vary significantly between business to business. The majority feel that their workforce is competent in this area whilst others feel that they have severe short-falls. What is apparent is that some employers feel that the standard of these skills has been declining over the last 10-15 years. Consequently employers are having to source training for their newly employed staff
43 http://en.calameo.com/read/001824487ea7b9ac7d5af
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles