Many a European has cast an envious eye towards Germany of late. It might be having to shore up the Eurozone’s stretcher cases but it still hit 3% GDP growth in 2011, and just announced its lowest unemployment figures for 20 years.
So what’s the secret of German economic success? Clearly having a business-friendly government helps. So does maintaining a balanced economy in terms of the split between manufacturing and services and large and small to medium-sized businesses.
Then, say the Germans themselves, there’s the other key – training. Their education system has the right mix of academic and technical focus and, critically, industry gets involved too, working with schools and colleges so the curriculum imparts the skills and knowledge it needs. Businesses are also committed to in-house training and notably apprenticeships (one reason German 16-25 year-old unemployment is half that of the UK).
But, while Germany may still be some way ahead of us on this score, what is encouraging for the UK now is that government, industries and businesses are not just looking enviously at its training model, but looking to learn from it and adopt a similar approach. Among them is the UK timber sector.
When the so-called Norton House Group of timber industry bodies formed to discuss areas for collaboration, they identified training as among the most important and urgent. The consequence, at the start of 2010, was the appointment of Proskills as timber’s sector skills council (SSC), charged with creating a new qualifications and training framework.
Working with a wood industry board and qualifications reform group, Proskills set about mapping the sector’s training needs and resources and devising ways of matching the two. The result imminently will be the launch of an initial batch of new sector specific NVQ-level qualifications; the first three covering merchanting, timber tooling and sawmilling.
Last November Proskills also launched its MakeIT! Wood programme. This aims to get timber on the curriculum by providing teachers with material and encouraging timber businesses to twin with local schools.
Most recently Proskills unveiled the online Wood Skills Academy (www.woodskillsacademy.co.uk). This helps businesses find relevant training and access funding for it. It also gives prospective employees information on careers available in the sector and the skills they need.
And next on the agenda for Proskills and its industry supporters is, perhaps, the most significant development so far: a new timber sector apprentice scheme.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that, under a new regime where SSCs have to bid for government money, Proskills’ central funding has been axed. The main reason it lost out, it seems, was the level of match funding it gets from the industries it works with compared to other SSCs. Proskills and its backers say this is unfair as its sectors include a bigger proportion of less well resourced SMEs, and they are appealing the decision. It has also devised a new, pared down business model, which will have to be approved by its industry board in coming weeks.
Proskills expresses confidence it can survive. Let’s hope it can and continue to develop timber sector training fit for the 21st century. It works for the Germans.
