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Addressing Recruitment and Apprenticeship Challenges: Key Takeaways from the Bristol & Bath Cluster Meeting Workshop – 19th Sept 2024
On 19th September 2024, WEAF members at the Bristol & Bath Cluster gathered to discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing recruitment and apprenticeships in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing job market today. Through discussions and problem-solving, the attendees explored a variety of issues, focusing on recruitment difficulties, strategies to improve apprenticeships, and possible short-term solutions to tackle ongoing employment shortages.
Session 1: Recruitment Challenges and Solutions
The first session of the workshop focused on the barriers businesses face in recruitment, particularly when trying to attract and retain young talent and apprentices.
Several key themes emerged:
Retention of Young Talent and Apprentices
One of the major issues is the difficulty in retaining younger employees and apprentices. The traditional idea of a “job for life” is no longer as appealing or realistic for younger generations.
Skills Development for Career Flexibility
The workshop highlighted the importance of promoting transferable skills to support career movement, allowing workers to change roles every 3-4 years.
Promoting Later-Life Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are often perceived as opportunities for school leavers, but attendees emphasised the need to encourage later-life apprenticeships for people of any age. Many are unaware of the funding available to support this, and businesses need to raise awareness of these opportunities to attract talent at all stages of life.
Attracting Talent to Rural or Less Popular Locations
The location of a business plays a crucial role in recruitment. Companies in more remote areas, such as Cornwall, struggle to attract talent. Offering an attractive benefits package is essential, and businesses need to position themselves as desirable places to work by highlighting local advantages or offering relocation support.
STEM Education and Industry Perception
There is a growing need to encourage STEM education and develop stronger links with schools. STEM ambassadors should visit schools to generate interest, especially as many schools cannot afford to send students on visits. It is important to address the negative perceptions of engineering as dirty, difficult, and poorly paid. The industry must work to change these outdated views and highlight its innovation and opportunities.
Upskilling the Workforce
Businesses are encouraged to upskill their unskilled workforce through targeted training. Developing skills matrices and focusing on individual growth helps ensure employees are well-suited to the business’s needs, while recognising that academic achievement is not always the most important factor.
Session 2: Improving Apprenticeships
The second session of the workshop focused on how to encourage and improve apprenticeship programmes. The discussions provided useful suggestions, including:
Collaboration with Educational Institutions
Businesses need to work closely with local colleges and universities to ensure that available courses align with the needs of the industry. A feedback mechanism between academia and industry will help create a workforce that is better prepared for the jobs of the future.
“Educate the Educators”
Many teachers and parents hold outdated or negative perceptions of careers in aerospace and advanced engineering. By educating teachers and parents about the value of apprenticeships and the diverse opportunities within engineering, businesses can help change the perception and attract more young people to the industry.
Clear Signposting to Opportunities
Apprenticeships can often be difficult to navigate due to the complexities of available funding. Clear signposting is essential—pointing people towards the right funding, courses, and information—to make apprenticeships more accessible and attractive.
Expanding Apprenticeships to Universities
Apprenticeships are traditionally linked to colleges, but businesses should consider offering these opportunities to university students as well. There is no age limit for apprenticeships, and looking into university students could help fill the growing demand for skilled workers.
Trial Periods for Apprentices
Introducing a trial period for apprenticeships could benefit both employers and apprentices. This gives individuals a chance to determine if the work suits them, and for businesses, it helps ensure they are selecting the right candidates for long-term investment.
Short-Term Solutions: Navigating Labour Shortages
As labour shortages continue to challenge many sectors, the workshop also explored Plan B options, which focused on shorter-term measures businesses can take while navigating the current workforce gap.
Collaboration Between Businesses
Rather than competing, businesses could explore collaboration—sharing resources, ideas, and even employees where appropriate. This collaborative approach could help to ease the impact of shortages on individual companies.
Automation and Upskilling
Introducing automation where possible could help alleviate pressure on the workforce. Providing opportunities for current employees to train and upskill into more advanced roles should be considered.
External Labour and Training
Businesses may need to look beyond local talent and consider bringing in external employees to meet their needs.
Retention of Current Employees
Retaining the current workforce is key, and businesses should work on strategies to increase employee engagement and satisfaction to avoid losing valuable staff.
Working with Primes
Primes such as GKN and Airbus should be encouraged to recruit more apprentices than they need and make the excess talent available to their supply chains. This collaboration benefits both the Primes and their supply chain, creating a steady talent pipeline.
Conclusion
The workshops at the Bristol & Bath Cluster provided valuable insights into the recruitment and apprenticeship challenges aerospace businesses face today. By focusing on collaboration, upskilling, and education, companies can work together to tackle these recruitment and retention issues.
The WEAF Board of Directors is currently running a STEM focus group, and further workshops will be held at the next round of Cluster meetings to expand on the knowledge gained from this workshop.
We’d like to say a big thank you to Cross Manufacturing for hosting event and look forward to the next one in Gloucester!