Laing O’Rourke should be applauded for its commitment to doubling its apprentice numbers (27 February, page 10), but one of the most interesting parts of the story, which did not feature in your article, is that Laing O’Rourke’s new Apprenticeship Plus programme shows the evolving nature of construction training
ConstructionSkills’ consultations with businesses in 2005, which helped to inform our Construction Qualification Strategy, meant that we were able to identify key concerns with the provision of training, and to work alongside employers of all sizes to ensure that these concerns were addressed.
As this process continues, we want to ensure that apprenticeships deliver the right skills for the industry at a time when requirements are changing. We worked closely with Laing O’Rourke to develop a format that placed greater emphasis on modern methods of construction, an approach that will deliver tailor-made recruits for the business.
Especially in a challenging economic climate, it is vital that training programmes provide the sort of bespoke workers increasingly a feature on new builds.
Nick Gooderson, head of standards and qualifications, ConstructionSkills
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