Nick Dettmar, managing director of Roevin, the engineering and technical recruitment arm of the Adecco group


With popular TV shows such as The Apprentice dominating the TV schedules, the profile of apprenticeships and the benefits of work experience have been thrust into the limelight.


All of this, if somewhat glamorised through the wonders of television, creates a wonderful advert for the opportunities that exist in UK business and industry.

Apprenticeship schemes

At present, there is a range of 200 apprenticeship schemes across 80 industry sectors: ranging from health and beauty through to engineering and manufacturing, giving thousands of budding professionals a helping hand onto the career ladder each year. For many the problem with such schemes is that they’re too few and far between, with competition for a place being extremely competitive.

In 2006 for example I’m aware that some 50,000 people applied for 9,000 apprentice positions in the construction industry alone, highlighting the growing need for both the Government and businesses to strengthen and broaden their apprentice and work experience opportunities.  

Thankfully businesses are starting to act, British Gas which along with BT offers one of the finest apprenticeship programmes in the engineering industry has recently announced it will treble the number of apprentice engineers it takes on, investing around £40m and creating 1000 new jobs over an 18 month period. Schemes such as these not only help in offering great opportunities to young people but also help combat the much publicised skills shortages many industry sectors are currently facing.

Engineering industry

The engineering industry in particular has seen some major changes over the last 30 years having shrunk in size and undergone some large-scale structural changes. Over one and a half million jobs have been lost since 1971 in order to create a leaner but much fitter industry. These changes have had a profound impact on the skill pool, with an increase in the amount of niche businesses requiring a particular skill set. The problem has been in attracting a new generation of engineering professionals into the industry to fill these gaps having struggled to entice young people into the benefits of a career in engineering and to some of the ground breaking and thought leading work which takes place.

Work experience - try before you buy

This is where I feel work experience can help. More and more employers are taking on graduates who have had some form of work experience within their organisation, as they are often familiar with how the business runs on a day-to-day basis and have demonstrated an enthusiasm for the job. This ‘try before you buy’ approach is beneficial and allows young people who may have had a pre-conception about a profession to see the reality of the job and help shape a project or provide a fresh injection of ideas into a business.

I think the benefit of apprenticeships and work experience is clear, for both the candidate and the employer it offers genuine opportunities to develop and nurture talent and potential as well as deliver hands on experience in the world of work. Employers gain a highly motivated and loyal workforce that helps boost productivity and makes a positive difference to their business from day one, with individuals improving their skills and career prospects whilst continuing to learn and earn a wage.

Skills shortages remain a prominent issue in the UK, and its important that individuals are attracted to the industry if we are to remain competitive in the global economy and help put the UK back in pole position in the global skills race. Through training and developing apprentices employers can ensure that the skills critical to their business success are not lost. 

Through active encouragement and promotion of apprenticeship schemes and work experience opportunities, budding industry stars are likely to emerge.