With skills in short supply, the industry must ask what the future holds for technology businesses. The answer? A telecoms apprenticeship scheme run by the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP), explains Head of Operations Crissi Williams.
Back in 2013 we identified the need for a telecoms specific apprenticeship scheme. Having researched the idea with our members we found that 100 per cent would, in an ideal world, employ apprentices if they could. We also discovered, however, that the biggest barriers to taking on apprentices included the administration required, time constraints, staff resources and access to training. In fact, at that time it was only the larger organisations that were in a position to employ apprentices.
Since then, we have successfully created more than 60 jobs in the industry through the scheme, ranging from engineers to technical helpdesk advisors. Through this initiative we are not only offering young people a chance to start their careers, but also providing telecoms businesses a headache-free way to find the fresh new talent they need, whether large or small.
It is currently now better value than ever for employers to take on young apprentices, with the Government recently announcing the abolition of employer national insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25. While those perceived barriers first identified in our survey of 2013 still remain for some, they don't have to. Our scheme takes care of the time-consuming elements for businesses who are keen to take on apprentices, but are not sure where to start.
Our apprentices are supported throughout the programme with further training and development opportunities. One of the most valuable elements is the mentoring scheme. Each apprentice is matched with a mentor, giving them unique access to a senior telecoms professional. We have found this not only drives motivation, but gives them access to unique insights and networking opportunities with peers they may never have met otherwise. It has also proven to be a valuable experience from the mentor's perspective too, with many telling us that they gain a real insight into the challenges faced by young people entering our industry - something which can help with their own training and HR strategy.
With the heavy financial burden bearing down on young people going to university, opportunities to 'earn as you learn' are becoming ever more attractive. This is demonstrated in the rise of sites like www.notgoingtouni.com and more than 45k Twitter followers to the National Apprenticeship Service. What's more, during this year's National Apprenticeship Week, 30,000 employers across the country pledged to create apprenticeship roles. We are working to close the gap between education and work by offering an alternative to university, where often graduates are still not 'work ready' after completing their studies. The apprenticeship route gives young people the skills, training and knowledge they need to be work ready by the time they have completed their apprenticeship.
The forthcoming Apprenticeship Levy, coming into effect in April 2017, will undoubtedly change the apprenticeship landscape. It will install a 0.5 per cent tax on companies with a wage bill of more than £300 million, but will affect SMEs too as companies with a lesser wage bill will be able to draw from the fund. The response to the levy has been mixed. Some see it as a way of increasing the quality of placements across the country, while others argue it could force businesses to look at quantity rather than quality. Our advice would be to get ahead of the game and start employing apprentices now, and to engage with your payroll software provider now to ascertain how the money will be taken and avoid any potential hiccups.
Ultimately, apprenticeships are vital to the development of the industry. Not only do they bring fresh talent, but greater staff retention and more tailored skills. We continue to welcome two full cohorts per year to our programme, and hope to see this grow over the next few years - creating more telecoms jobs.
Awards programme
The ITP's Apprentice of the Year awards programme was launched to help exceptional apprentices stand out from the crowd, and recognise their hard work and commitment. It also gives the young people a confidence boost and looks great on their CV. Past winners have told us that it has really helped their career prospects.
An important element of our awards programme is the Chris Seymour Women in Telecoms award, launched to recognise the outstanding contribution that women make to the sector, despite still being in the minority. Women currently make up under 30 per cent of the ICT workforce, and only 15.5 per cent of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. According to a report from the Select Committee on Digital Skills, increasing the number of women working in IT and telecoms could generate an extra £2.6 billion each year.
The University and Colleges Admissions Service found that in 2014, 17,300 more men than women entered computer science, and 20,300 more men entered engineering. In both of these fields men made up over 85 per cent of acceptances. Lack of careers guidance and education are noted as the main stumbling blocks, something we hope to address in the telecoms sector. This information shows that more needs to be done to address the imbalance within our industry.
Nathalie Vafiadis, Director of Technology Delivery at EE and winner of The Chris Seymour Award for Women in Telecoms in 2015, said: "If you look at the engineering side of telecoms it is dominated by men, and many times throughout my career I've been the only woman in the room during meetings. It's a fact that women are under-represented in this industry. Yet I haven't ever focused on gender during my career and have just concentrated on doing the best job I can in whatever role I'm doing.
"The Chris Seymour Award for Women in Telecoms demonstrates that women can have successful careers in comms. My aspiration is that within the next generation, Chris Seymour's wonderful award will be changing its name because there will no longer be a need to limit it by gender. The industry will have moved on significantly and women in senior positions across the telecoms industry will be the norm.
"We absolutely need to tell young women as they're growing up that there's no reason they can't be involved in this industry. A successful career in any field should be an output of the passion and energy you put into it. That's why mentoring schemes are very important. They help to develop an individual's belief and ultimately drive the end result. It doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman. We want the telecoms industry to be filled with enthusiastic people focused on delivering an exceptional service to customers.
"We're living in a technological age and all children are growing up using technology as second nature, so there's every reason to be encouraged about more women developing an interest in technology and moving into engineering-based industries like telecoms and ultimately achieving their full career potential."•
Key points
• The ITP's apprenticeship scheme has created more than 60 jobs in the industry and continues to seek out companies and employees who wish to take part.
• Now is a better time than ever to take on apprentices before the introduction of the levy and due to the abolition of the employer national insurance contributions.
• The ITP can provide access to training, professional registration and mentoring.
www.theitp.org