This week is the first national Apprenticeship Week. Proskills, the sector specific council for the furniture industry aimed at boosting productivity and competitiveness through training, explain why it's important.
The future of apprenticeships within the furniture, furnishings and interiors industry is looking bright, with about 350 apprentices registered on the furniture industry apprenticeship programme at any one time, a number that is expected to grow in the next few years.
The furniture, furnishings and interiors manufacturing industries in the UK have a long tradition of skills development and apprenticeships spanning the centuries, from the traditional work of the craft guilds and livery companies through to the modern integration of high technology and hand skills in furniture production.
A large proportion of these skilled workers will be leaving the industry in the next few years and the furniture, furnishings and interiors apprenticeship is seen as being essential to attract and prepare young people to fill these expected vacancies. The apprenticeship programme also brings with it the best possible preparation for achieving occupational status within the industry.
There are more than 20,000 companies in the UK furniture industry employing over 150,000 people, so the potential for uptake of apprenticeships is huge. The apprenticeship provides entrants with the skills needed for all of the craft job roles within furniture, furnishings and interiors, irrespective of materials used: including natural timber, man-made board (including laminates), plastics and metal components. It is the nature of an individual’s job role which determines which aspect of the apprenticeship they follow.
Jackie Bazeley, Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors Industry Champion at Proskills, said: "We regularly talk to employers and apprentices and there is a feeling within the industry that there is a growing recognition of how important apprenticeships and apprentices are to furniture, furnishings and interiors businesses.
"Proskills' job is to persuade them to take the plunge and take on apprentices to support the future competitiveness of the UK furniture industry."
When asked about the current and future benefits of an apprenticeship, Leigh Peach, an apprentice of WEBS training and employee of Davenport Designers and Cabinet Makers Ltd, said: "Becoming a fully qualified craftsperson and gaining confidence to work using my own initiative".
This week 25th-29th February is Apprenticeship Week - an initiative backed by the government that has been designed to celebrate the ongoing success of apprenticeships whilst rallying more employers to take on apprentices - so what better time to announce that Proskills will be continuing with its Apprenticeship Awards in 2008. This will be a UK-wide opportunity for apprentices from furniture companies to demonstrate that their apprentices are among the best in the country.
Jackie added: "There’s no doubt about it in my mind: apprenticeships are a winning formula: they use qualifications that are developed by the industry to fit the occupation, they enable knowledge and skills to be passed down through the country's workforce to future generations and they allow an employee to quickly contribute to an employer's bottom line. We believe that apprenticeships are the training of the future".
Apprenticeships are also one of the key aspects of the prospect4u careers website just launched by Proskills. The website address is: www.prospect4u.co.uk
This week is the first national Apprenticeship Week. Proskills, the sector specific council for the furniture industry aimed at boosting productivity and competitiveness through training, explain why it's important.