Skills is a theme Millrose are often keen to promote, whether that's promoting data cabling as a career at Careers Fairs, mentoring or interviewing school students at local schools and colleges.
A couple of years ago, when we first discussed recruiting an apprentice, we contacted lots of local colleges to see whether they offered Network Installation as an apprenticeship. We heard the same answer repeatedly: "Oh no, the students don't want to be doing that for a job. They want to work in IT at a desk, not out in all weathers and at all hours".
This was disappointing to hear as we felt strongly that courses offered by training providers should reflect the needs of the labour market, not the other way round. (We eventually found a training provider way out of the local area, Harrogate, who offered the course that we needed).
So when the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce asked for our input into their Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) project, we were keen to express our opinions.
The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a government initiative that aims to address that imbalance and put the voices of employers at the centre of the skill system and build a stronger and more dynamic partnerships with further education providers. The Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce are developing and delivering the project for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region.
As active Chamber members with a passion for local skills, we've taken part in the Chamber's LSIP workshops that took place across the region in the last couple of months. We are now helping to promote the survey to local businesses and encourage others to have their say on recruitment issues they have experienced and help address the skills shortage.
Our Managing Director, Keith Evans, is appearing this month in a campaign in the Chamber of Commerce's "Connected" magazine, urging businesses to complete the survey.
Keith says, "Courses for skilled trades like ours are often overlooked by training providers. Huge shortages loom in the workforce. Completing the survey, and expressing our concerns at the LSIP workshop, we hope will promote vocational skills training and T-Levels. These are vital for the future of local trades and the telecom and construction industries".
To express your opinion, please fill in the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce survey here. Closing date is 30th April and all entries can be in with a chance of winning £250.
For more information on the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce LSIP project visit their website
