A big problem, as I see it, is the complete misunderstanding of what many 'shop floor' trades competence requirements are and the academic achievement targets set by educationalists.
For a time in my career I worked for the Road Transport Industry Training Board and sat on the advisory panel for the Motor Industry Training Standards Council. In that role I researched motor manufacturer minimum entry requirements for their apprenticeship programmes, most wanted 4 O levels.... this included BMW, VW, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ford and Volvo.
The problem was exacerbated by the change in the type and complexity of work coming into dealerships. Gone were the days of large unit mechanical overhauls and repairs and the shift was more towards the bulk of work being basic and routine (routine services, brakes etc) and the remainder being highly complex diagnostics. No longer were main dealer workshops stripping and overhauling engines, gearboxes and axles.
The entry requirements for apprentices simply didn't reflect the needs of the shop floor, there is nothing in the attainment of a good grade O level that ensures an understanding at the level required to gain competence in the work coming into the dealership.
In fact as a test case I ran 20 apprentice applicants who had succeeded in obtaining an apprenticeship through Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Tests and AH4 and only a small % obtained the required mark to be accepted 10 years before. Good kids, but maybe an indication why so few completed their apprenticeships (fall out was over 70% at the time) or stayed on the shop floor post training.
I concluded that the sort of youngster who could/would attain a clutch of decent grade O levels is possibly not the sort of youngster that is going to gain job satisfaction doing routine services to motor vehicles for the rest of their working lives, they quite naturally wanted bigger and better things.
I put a paper up that went all the way to the Minister involved, of course it was rejected and nothing was done, we continued to exclude access to quality manufacturer training for a large group of youngsters who may have been ideally suited for the working environment and practices required. So sad, years later when i had the reins at Volvo and had control of its apprenticeship programme I introduced basic mechanical comprehension and aptitude testing as cornerstones of its recruitment and selection process.
Too little and too late I fear, 3 years after I left they dropped the programme on Fords insistence (Ford were the owners then).
BR
Colin
