Apprenticeships The Employer’s Perspective Martin McVicar, Managing Director, Combilift

Career Path The Moffett Mounty

Company Background Clontibret Gallinagh Annahagh

Made in Ireland Combilift now exports to more than 85 countries from its manufacturing base in Ireland. Established 1998 Employees 650+ Turnover 2018 €240m R&D 7%

OEM apprenticeship VIDEO

“There’s no such thing as a mechanic today “There’s no such thing as a mechanic today. You open the hood of your car and you don’t need a mechanic. You need a rocket scientist or a software specialist. We’ve advanced so quickly that we’ve pulled skilled trades into a much more sophisticated career path and the language and perceptions simply have not had time to catch up.” Mike Rowe, host of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It”

Apprenticeship Development Mid-Tier Engineering Group & Enterprise Ireland. Review of existing apprenticeship and City & Guilds provision. Need for a new apprenticeship for OEM companies. Agreement on content given the diverse range of companies. Attended 22 Consortium Steering Group meetings over 2 years. indigenous SME are a more significant player that we acknowledge.

Apprenticeship Launch 14 January 2019

Industry Quality Focus Industry standards Lean Quality processes ISO standards Customer is the ultimate decision maker for any company.

Quality of Curriculum Everyone is responsible for the development of the apprentice. Curriculum selection and scheduling should be responsive to the needs of the apprentice and employer. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”  Benjamin Franklin Apprenticeship should not be cumbersome for employer or apprentice

Focus on Apprentice At all steps need to ensure that the apprentice and their development is the focus. The outcome is as important for the apprentice as it is for the employer – the employer wants a skilled employee who can contribute to the growth of the company. The apprentice needs to feel valued during their training not just a number.

OEM Apprenticeship

Communication, Promotion & Recruitment Clarity for employers on the process including the governance and roles of other bodies. Provision of information during the development. Engaging and recruiting employers throughout the development. Perception of apprenticeships amongst parents and guidance professionals. Provision of information for applicants and employers. Created institutes of higher education that could focus on vocational career paths while ignoring the fact that at the secondary level, we were not preparing students for entry into such careers. We still do not have the systems in place at secondary level that adequately support students by presenting them with career paths other than predominantly academic ones.

Challenges - Cost Cost – especially for the indigenous SME sector. Cost of paying a salary and subsistence while the apprentice is off the job is a major disincentive. Recommendation – support off-job phrase through the National Training Fund (currently 0.9% levy) - based on each employer’s contribution to NTF.

Challenges in Maintaining Quality Work does not stop when the apprenticeship is approved. Consistency in delivery and assessment. Continuous review to ensure relevance to industry. Changing demand patterns in companies. At the end of the day it is about preparing the person for employment opportunities with their employer.