ITOL News May/June 2009

ITOL's message for organisations to increase, rather than decrease, their levels of training in these difficult times seems to be getting through.

ITOL Corporate member the Civil Engineering Contractors Association is the first industry body to conduct a survey of it's members to examine the effect the downturn is having on training programmes and apprenticeship schemes.

Part of the 2009 Training Survey asked members to identify how many training days they offered in 2008 and how many apprentices each company employed in 2008, they were then if they would be increasing or decreasing these numbers for 2009. Over 100 companies of all sizes and from all over the UK responded.

In 2008 86% percent of companies provided more than 50 training days for staff members and 37% of companies provided over 500 training days. The survey revealed that in 2009 this commitment to training would continue. 77% of companies will be maintaining or increasing their training provision in 2009, compared with the previous year, despite a recent Workload Trends survey indicating a majority of companies expect a surplus of skills over the coming year.

Of the respondents to the survey 56% stated that they employed at least one apprentice in 2008. Of these 78% employed fewer than five apprentices.

Of the companies who employed apprentices in 2008 nearly half stated they will increase the number of apprentices in 2009 and 17% will employ the same number.

These figures indicate that despite the economic downturn, 65% of civil engineering contractors will either increase or maintain the number of apprentices they take on.

Commenting on the Survey's results CECA Director Rosemary Beales said;

"It is vital to guard against any future skills shortage and companies must prepare for the future by investing in training today. The results of CECA's training survey show that member companies are committed to doing this".

An ITOL spokesperson added "This is fantastically good news for the civil engineering sector and also a strong message to every other sector. Despite anecdotal evidence that training levels would drop significantly during the downturn CECA members show a real desire to continue to attract new people into the industry and improve skills at all levels."





People who want to organise their own groups and classes will be supported by a new national campaign for learning, Government announced today.

A £20m transformation fund will support the development of new adult learning partnerships and innovative ideas. This could mean helping local people breathe new life into empty shop premises, or issuing learning vouchers to people who are unemployed; Public and private buildings all over the country will throw open their doors to learners in the evening and weekends, from pubs, shops, cafes and churches to workplaces, libraries and galleries. The buildings will be identified by the new "Learning Revolution" logo and at least 7,000 rooms will be available, with the number expected to grow.

The campaign is backed by organisations ranging from the Women's Institute, the Church of England and the National Trust to ITOL, Microsoft and BUPA. They have all pledged to support this movement and where possible, to open their doors so that groups of adults engage in learning to expand their horizons.

The Government has published a White Paper, The Learning Revolution, which aims to bring to life a new 21st century vision to help adults learn for pleasure and personal and community development. The White Paper outlines plans for building a culture of learning across society.

Skills Secretary John Denham said:

"Learning in all its many forms improves our quality of life. Over the past few years, there has been a quiet learning revolution, but the Government wants to ignite this, raising the profile and take-up of learning wherever it happens, so that all adults and communities can benefit from high-quality, innovative learning that is accessible to all. This is ever more important during a downturn. The White Paper includes a new challenge to, and new support for, local authorities to play their part. Together we can help make sure that informal learning isn't a privilege reserved for the few, but an opportunity enjoyed by many."

ITOL added "

"Informal learning often goes unnoticed and unrecognized when it deserves to be acknowledged, celebrated and supported. Learning should be a natural part of everyone's life, throughout their whole life.