JTL Blog  

With a huge skills shortage in the UK, as well as an ageing workforce and costs of recruitment skyrocketing, now is the time to consider taking on the next generation of skilled tradespeople – apprentices. From the myths and benefits around hiring young workers through to the funding you can get from the Government, Nikki Cowan, Business Development Advisor at JTL, discusses everything you need to know.

At JTL, we understand the need to get more women into building and engineering. However, it’s easier said than done. With a wealth of opportunities for women to make a name for themselves, they face many challenges and misconceptions too. It’s no wonder that some people ask – is there a place for women in the industry? Our answer is yes – here’s our take on it all.

The apprenticeship levy affects mainly larger companies with a high payroll bill of more than £3 million. Less than that, the levy does not affect you. The reality is that less than 2% of UK employers need to pay it and it only affects businesses operating in England.

Young people all over England and Wales will be collecting their A Level and AS Level results on Thursday 15th August. For most people it is inevitably a nerve-racking, but exciting experience, as their future plans are usually dependent on getting the grades they need to go to their chosen university or college – or for some the work based next step for them as they head off into the world of work.

Explore a day in the life of a JTL electrical apprentice, Amy Lister who works for Goodridge Electrical

At JTL, we know about the misconceptions and worries surrounding taking on an apprentice, in fact, we conducted some research with the trades to find out exactly what the main concerns were. We then spoke to our existing employers to effectively turn those myths into facts, read on to discover the facts associated with 5 common myths…

After a lot of work going through Trailblazer discussions and taking on board the comments of people across the industry, we’re ready to introduce the new four-year Level 3 Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Apprenticeship which will be introduced from September 2019. The apprenticeship will be available in selected JTL centres and via many of our college partners around England and Wales.

A Traineeship is still a relatively new approach by government to raise the employability skills of many young people leaving schools, or currently registered as not in employment, education or training (NEET). Young people aged 16-18 complete a programme that combines work preparation and associated training alongside four weeks of work experience with an employer.

Former apprentices delve into their career progression and what they are currently doing now following on from their apprenticeship.

There’s no escaping the facts. The building services engineering sector today is predominantly white male… the stats all say that. And even for a company like JTL, which has equality, diversity and inclusion at its core and actively seeks to encourage people who are under-represented in the electrical and plumbing, heating and ventilation trades, the fact remains that the majority of applications we receive for apprenticeships come from young white men.