Thatcham: Don’t abandon your apprentices

Thatcham Research is urging businesses to continue their investment in apprenticeships.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has confirmed that apprentices can continue to study, while the National Body Repair Association (NBRA) has since shared recent guidance for repairers on how to manage apprentice learning during the coronavirus lockdown including, where necessary, under the furlough rules.

Dean Lander, head of repair sector services at Thatcham Research, said: “The challenge for business owners and their staff is almost indescribable. That said, no one is likely to feel more vulnerable than young apprentices. With little life experience, many will struggle to get to grips with the upheaval. However, this need not put an end to their hopes and dreams of a career in repair.

“Whether an apprentice is still required to be in the bodyshop, is spending more time at home or has been furloughed their learning should continue. When lockdown comes to an end and the public returns to the roads in significant numbers, there will inevitably be a corresponding increase in accidents. Apprentices can play a crucial role in dealing with this demand. The progress an apprentice makes during this period could be vital to the success of the bodyshop when normality returns.”

Thatcham Research has 155 apprentices on programme throughout the UK. It acknowledges that on-site learning and practical assessments may be delayed due to the lockdown. However, extending the programme, even by a few months, could be hugely demotivating.

For this reason, Thatcham Research is not enforcing breaks in learning for its apprentices. With all apprentices on programme due to complete in early 2021, there is a window of opportunity to catch up once restrictions are relaxed. In the meantime, Thatcham Research has adapted the programme to offer an extended range of remote learning.

Lander said: “If we stand by the repair workforce of tomorrow now, we’ll minimise disruption when normality returns – and ultimately increase the value of the investment in apprentices many times over.”