Apprenticeship Advocates at Bury Council
Historically, Bury Council has not actively engaged with the apprenticeship agenda in a coordinated way, apart from a few individually recruited apprentices into Adult Care Services.
However, with the full support of the Chief Executive, the Council has begun to get involved in the apprenticeship agenda in a coordinated way and see apprenticeships as an investment in a potential workforce for the future. This is particularly encouraging in the current economic climate where the focus is predominantly on cost reduction across the board, especially in regard to staffing.
Since the Councils involvement in the Backing Young Britain Initiative and their subsequent financial support for 11 Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) young people earlier this year, with an aim to progressing them onto an apprenticeship scheme, the Council is approaching the apprenticeship agenda in a forward-thinking way.
The Council clearly had the foresight to understand the considerable value of apprenticeships, which are a key vehicle for businesses to train and develop new and existing staff and will deliver relevant skills to meet business needs. Apprenticeships also bring economic value, such as, increased productivity, higher staff retention rates and a genuine commitment towards their employer.
Roger Pakeman, UNISON shop steward at the Council, has been engaged in the apprenticeship agenda for some considerable time and as the UNISON rep on the steering group for introducing apprenticeships and work experience to the Council, Roger is a perfect apprenticeship ambassador.
Roger is actively working with the Council on their proposed work experience framework, which will focus on providing young people with work based learning opportunities, identifying talented young people from work experience schemes to generate talent pools and up-skilling the young people in Bury to meet future work force demands.
Roger said: ‘Having worked with government funded training as far back as the Manpower Services Commission in 1986, I have seen apprenticeships develop. I have detailed knowledge of how apprenticeships are designed, operated and funded. I am enthusiastic about apprenticeships and I want them to be recruited into all areas of Council work, not just Business Administration roles within an office setting. I also want to ensure that apprentices are aware of the valuable role trade unions can play in supporting and guiding them in the world of work.'
Union advocates are an important network of support for apprentices. They have working knowledge of how apprenticeships operates and are skilled negotiators who are committed to ensuring apprentices are treated as valued employees.
Apprenticeships Advocates share trade union aims and values and are signed up to the TUC's objective of fostering high quality apprenticeships.
When asked what challenges apprentices can be expected to face in the world of work today, Roger explained:
'Entering an organisation where staff members are facing redundancy can be daunting; especially where there is no tradition of apprentice staff present and management are unfamiliar with the specific support apprentices require. Support from management across the Council in conjunction with UNISON is vital for the successful implementation of an apprenticeship programme that rewards both the Council and prospective apprentices’.
