Comment by BVAA CEO Rob Bartlett

We all get them.  One of those slick, promotional emails from a machinery auction house, with lots of photos of equipment for sale.  But something caught my eye…  this particular kit was very clean, like new in fact!  And in a very tidy, well-ordered workshop, much like the engineering ‘lab’ when I was at college.  Then realization dawned, and my heart sank.

The sale was at yet another engineering training school, closing for business!

I wonder sometimes how on earth young people are supposed to make a career in engineering these days, as we make it extremely difficult for them, on a number of fronts.

Firstly, travel.  Having opted for engineering as a career, the college I needed to attend full time was in our nearest ‘big’ town.  That was 13 miles away.  The nearest bus stop for that route was 3 miles from home, hence public transport wasn’t an option.  So, as a 16 year old, getting my own (two) wheels would be required, and every one of the 20 or so youngsters on my course had to do the same.  Imagine how difficult travel is now, if the local training schools are closing.

As a parent who has recently financed a scooter for a 22 year old, I can tell you the costs of a bike and some crippling insurance are also now well beyond the means of a first-year apprentice!

My second year required higher courses, and these were only available at a bigger college 20 miles away.  With the experience of a bad winter under our belts, and much further to travel, cars were now deemed essential.  Again, this was just about doable in the 80s, but try financing that for 17 year old these days!  Personally, I’m still saving for that purchase for my daughters. 

Should my cohort have wanted to go on for the highest level courses, the nearest deliverer was in Coventry, some 30 miles distant.  That might as well have been the moon!  There was no company travel expenses to help either - this was all self-supported.

Recently I read a post by someone bemoaning the ‘cost’ of apprentices. 

It’s hardly surprising given all the cost challenges they now face, even just to get to work or college, let alone buy books or equipment.  And there’s strong competition in the market for our STEM-inclined youngsters. 

Every day, our industry happily pays out thousands of pounds to recruiters to find them someone, but seldom will we grow our own.  In fact, the dearth of apprenticeships available in industry now is embarrassing.  Just how do people make it into our industry now?  On-the-job informal ‘training’ is on the rise, but I wonder what the average per capita spend on training actually is – not much I wager. 

The solution to all this, is in our hands, no-one else’s.  If we send our students to these places of learning, they’ll have a stronger case to stay open. 

Thank goodness organisations like the BVAA are still around with well qualified and hugely experienced sages, who are happy to provide technical training that the colleges principals apparently no longer want to, see www.bvaa.or.uk/training

 *I had the opportunity to re-visit my old engineering lab a few years ago… it had been converted into… a dance studio.  Not a job I’ve ever seen advertised lately, or indeed ever.

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