THE Tile Association encourages you to set yourself up for an incredibly rewarding experience by starting or supporting a wall and floor tile apprenticeship.
For the employer, apprenticeships are a cost-effective way to bring in new talent. If you are a small employer, the government pays 95-100% of the apprentice training costs. If you are a large employer, you can access the Apprenticeship Levy to pay for apprenticeship training.
On average in the UK, according to government data, the estimated yearly gain for employers is between £2,500 and £18,000 per apprentice during their training period. By increasing employee retention and morale, the returns from an apprenticeship can continue long after the training period is complete.
Investing in the future of wall and floor tiling supports best practices and raises standards in the industry, which is good for business. A skilled workforce generates and can deliver more leads. Mentoring an apprentice can also be deeply fulfilling as you watch over someone’s growth and progress.
Anthony Parrott, TTA board director and training committee member, argues ‘that all companies have a dedicated apprentice programme to train the next generation of skilled tilers.’ He says: ‘While it takes effort, time and money to have an apprentice programme, it has been very successful for us and a worthwhile investment. As a company owner of W.B. Simpson & Sons (Midlands) Ltd, I would argue it was not only essential for us to do this but very rewarding to see the apprentices progress through to highly skilled tilers.’
W.B. Simpson & Sons (Midlands) Ltd have had an apprentice programme for nearly 20 years, starting with James Mason in 2006 – who joined as a 16 year old and is still with the company. Other success stories include Shanbir Grewall and Mark Maguire, both progressing to become very skilled tilers capable of holding down large, high-value commercial projects. The company has also taken on the sons of some of our senior tilers as the next generation of apprentices, passing knowledge onto the next generation.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has just announced a series of changes it’s making to the funding and grant system. Most of the changes come into effect as soon as 8 January.
More information on the changes is available on the CITB website.
TTA continues its lobbying work to support apprenticeship funding, as the grant for apprentices needs to increase in line with minimum wages and national insurance in order to help small businesses. As it stands, this has not increased since 2019, while during the same period employers have experienced an increase of 72% in the direct cost to their businesses of employing an under-18 apprentice. We’re actively trying to get the grant increased, so that we can increase the number of apprentices coming through.
Currently the basic economic support through grant funding falls short as an incentive for businesses in our sector, notwithstanding the many benefits, discussed in this article, which employers will enjoy if they take on an apprentice.
To find a local training college near you, or find more information about taking on an apprentice, visit: www.tiles.org.uk/tiling-training/
TTA • www.tiles.org.uk
