futures APRIL 2009
futures10 IN THE WORKPLACE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Apprenticeships look to
safeguard our economy
NIGEL COUZENS
HEAD OF SKILLS AND CAPABILITY AT THE NDA
Passports to help you progress in your career
A
PPARENTLY Spring is here and many
of us will be thinking about or
booking our summer holidays,
especially after the snow and ice of late!
As well as holiday insurance, currency
and sun cream the most important item of
all, our passport, will need to be in date or
applied for.
Passports are valuable records of our
identity and hold vital information such as
visas and country entry and exit stamps but
more importantly, they also enable us to
"pass freely without let or hindrance".
Therefore, wouldn't it be great if there
was something similar to record our
training and skills which employers would
recognise, help us in demonstrating our
competence and support job movement
and career progression? Well, many
industries and employment sectors now
have "Skills Passports" which are being
seen as valuable documents for employers
and individuals in the ever increasing
nature of mobile, transient and changing
workforces.
The ability for an employee, individual,
contractor or student to have a validated
instant record of employment,
achievement and qualification is beneficial
for all � less time for induction in similar
jobs, proof of mandatory qualifications,
evidence of success, career progression, an
up to date training record and portable CV
to name a few.
In some sectors such as construction,
retail and hospitality, Skills Passports are
established or being rolled out and
proving a great success. I am pleased to see
that the nuclear industry is now
developing its own through the National
Skills Academy for Nuclear. The "Nuclear
Skills Passport" has been trialled and is
now being developed further for a
complete roll out later this year. There is a
good deal of information on the website
www.nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk but in
summary, it will provide all employees and
contractors within the nuclear sector with
a physical record of their industry specific
training and qualifications that meet the
agreed sector standards.
For employers, it will enable them to
reduce costs by re-training and up skilling
their workforce. Contractors will be in a
stronger position to tender for new work
as they will be able to evidence the skills
and competence of their workforce to
nationally recognised standards. It will
enhance the image of the sector by
demonstrating that nuclear employers
value and invest in staff training and
development, thus aiding recruitment and
will retain and develop local people for
local jobs. Additionally, substantial cost
reductions and time savings will be realised
by reducing the need for repeat and
unnecessary training as people and
companies move from one site to another.
I fully support the Skills Academy in
establishing the Nuclear Skills Passport and
hope that all employers and individuals see
the benefits of being a "Nuclear Skills
Passport Holder." Indeed I see great
opportunity in using the Passport on a
global basis as the nuclear industry
increasingly operates and interacts with its
employees in many companies across the
world. My work with the Global Nuclear
Energy Partnership is focused on this and I
hope that later this year, as the UK hosts
the next meeting of the 25 member states,
we will be able to gain support for the
Nuclear Skills Passport from other civil
nuclear power generation countries.
I am now off to check my passport as I
am off to Morocco later this month to help
some of the North African states to look at
the need for resources and skills to
establish civil nuclear power in their
countries. Perhaps they will be able to start
that process with a Nuclear Skills Passport?
� I'll let you know in my next article!
I
F Cumbria is going to get
through the current recession, it
will need a skilled workforce
equipped to take on the jobs still
available. And for centuries the
traditional way to gain skills for the
world of work was by training on the
job, as an apprentice.
By the end of the 1980s, as
manufacturing declined, this age-old
tradition had gone out of fashion. But now
it is being rediscovered, and in
apprenticeship week, which ran from
February 23 to 27, the achievements of
apprentices and the contribution they
make to our economy was celebrated.
On February 26 training provider JHP
Training held an open evening which
allowed young people to find out more
about apprenticeships. A number of
events were held county-wide to promote
apprentices.
By 1990 only one person out of every 150
UK workers was an apprentice. Now there
are about 35,000 apprentices in North
West England alone, in more than 200
different lines of work.
In England apprenticeships are funded
by the Learning and Skills Council. It
works with learning providers, who
either offer training themselves or match
young people to companies willing to take
on apprentices.
The apprentices learn from more
experienced staff members and gain
recognised qualifications such as NVQs.
An apprenticeship can last from
between one and four years, depending on
the line of work, and by law all have to be
paid at least �80 a week, though most earn
much more than this and see their pay
increase as they gain skills.
C
HARLOTTE Ireland had always
wanted to work with children and
studied child development at
school. But further qualifications
are needed for anyone who wants to work
with them and the 17-year-old from
Whitehaven didn't want to go back into an
academic setting.
So a career advisor told her about
apprenticeships.
Charlotte has worked for the past year
at the Happy Hours pre-school and
nursery in Low Moresby, has gained an
NVQ Level 2 and is now working towards
Level 3 through training provider JHP
Training, which has training centres
countywide.
She has experience of working with
children from babies up to four-year-olds
and has also earned qualifications in
child safety.
SELLAFIELD APPRENTICE: Lauren White
She said: "I didn't really want to go to
college. I would rather be working than
going to classes and lectures. But I think
you learn more on the job.
"I wouldn't know half the things I do if I
had been sitting in the classroom.
"You learn more and you earn a bit of
money as well.
"When I started here I was really shy
and I wouldn't speak to anybody. Now I
talk to everyone and I've made friends so
it has really boosted my confidence."
For more information on Charlotte's
apprenticeship visit www.jhptraining.com
A
LITTLE Broughton woman has
taken to the boardroom at
Sellafield as part of National
Apprenticeship Week.
Lauren White, 21, spent two days
shadowing top businessmen at the facility.
She attended meetings with suppliers
and contractors, as well as the daily
executive team meeting.
Lauren completed a scientific
apprenticeship last August with leading
training provider GEN II.
David McNerney, of Sellafield Ltd, said:
"We are delighted to support National
Apprenticeship Week and are pleased that
Lauren joined the executive team for a
few days.
"The scheme Sellafield has used for a
number of years with GEN II has seen
hundreds of young adults join our
organisation, bringing new skills and
developing their own professional
careers."
The shadowing activity was arranged
through members of the Cumbria
Employment and Skills Board and formed
part of apprenticeship week.
CHARLOTTE IRELAND: at Happy Hours

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