In response to the skills gaps seen in certain industry areas, such as construction, the government has announced that the minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months. This has been met with a mixed response from employers, with concerns that shortening the apprenticeship is simply a shortcut, rather than addressing the real issues affecting the skills gap.
Echoing the thoughts and concerns of many others in industry,
we are proud to say we will not be offering an eight-month apprenticeship across the courses we deliver, even if this is an option.
We at WEBS pride ourselves on offering training that is above the minimum requirement of the standard and do not feel that this can be achieved, nor the necessary skills developed, in this time.
Our credibility with the employers we work with means so much to us – we want them to see value in the training we do with their apprentices they trust us with to educate. Not only that, but we also want the apprentices to see value in their learning and to feel nurtured and developed.
And above all, we want to secure skills in the furniture and interiors industries for generations to come.
The BWF British Woodworking Federation are leading a coalition arguing against these reforms – visit their website for more information: