AJ Woods
A group of local SMEs realised that unless they address recruitment and training issues quickly, local firms will lose out on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to generate new private sector growth and employment.
Summary
Harwich Port, in the east of England, provides shore-based facilities for the construction of the UK’s largest wind farms, but most workers come from outside the region. A group of local employers are working together for the first time in order to energise both businesses and the potential workforce in Harwich and to tackle the skills issues holding them back. They plan to help local small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to develop their ability to compete for contracts, and to get local people into work using apprenticeships, work placements and a new skills passport.
“This is a deprived coastal community with few other economic growth options. This project is a vital opportunity for the future of Harwich’s businesses and its local community – and it’s just the beginning.”
Alistair Davidson, Managing Director, Pontoon Hire Limited
The skills challenges
Government figures suggest that by 2020 the UK’s offshore wind industry could be worth £75 billion and support 70,000 new jobs. Energy engineering construction contracts are generally held by large multinational companies that rely on contracting smaller companies to deliver projects. Each major contractor has different compliance requirements, and it can cost thousands of pounds for supply chain firms to obtain the accreditations needed for each worker. SMEs find these costs prohibitive, and even though Harwich is an established offshore community, local businesses are missing out. The region suffers from high unemployment and skills shortages and has one of the highest national percentages of people with no qualifications.
The solution
A group of local SMEs realised that unless they address recruitment and training issues quickly, local firms will lose out on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to generate new private sector growth and employment.
The employers are pooling their expertise and are working together for the first time to develop a programme of skills development, shared work experience and support for new entrants to the sector. They aim to:
- Help them to win contracts by providing support such as business needs analysis, and developing the workforce needed to deliver contracts to the high quality required
- Promote the sector to the local workforce and create a “Passport to Work”. This will include employability skills, work experience provided by consortium members and mandatory accreditations that will lead new employment opportunities and apprenticeships
- Immediately create 30 apprenticeships and 60 work placements.
Experienced employees will act as mentors to pass on skills, experience and knowledge to younger employees. The project will also offer unemployed people the opportunity to improve their skills or re-train.
Impact
The project will make the identification and delivery of training much more cost effective for local employers. Planned outcomes include:
- 90 ready-to-work employees with a passport to work
- 30 of these employed or on an apprenticeship scheme
- 35 supervisory and leadership qualifications
- 138 technical training interventions specific to employers’ needs.
The employers are confident that they have come up with a package of training and support that, for the first time, will really meet their needs and enable firms in the area to compete for business. Success will mean new contracts in a growth industry awarded to local firms, and increased local employment.
Who’s involved?
Ten local SMEs are working as a consortium, with up to 30 more employers identified as having the potential to come on board later. The consortium has partnered with Essex County Council, Tendring District Council, Job Centre Plus, The Haven Gateway Partnership, SEMTA, the East of England Energy Group and Colchester Institute leading training provision. Regional employers will contribute more than £3m to the project over two years, supported by £0.85m of public funding through the Employer Ownership Pilot.
“As employers, we know we needed some genuinely out-of-the-box thinking to get local people skilled up. The truly innovative part of this project is that local employers have joined together, identified the issues and created solutions that can get people into work straight away.”
Tony Woods, Managing Director, AJ Woods Engineering Limited
Investment
Employer investment: £2,538,068
Employer Ownership Pilot Funding: £850,977
Total: £3,389,045
