Insightful report reveals the true value of marine mentors
A new report on the importance of mentoring and marine sector skills was released earlier this month by Marine South East. The report, Marine Sector Skills to Support Innovation and Recruitment, was presented to the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) by Marine South East's skills manager David Rea. The report highlights case studies and research to illustrate the value of a well run mentoring programme in the workplace. It is through the strategic use of mentoring that growth and enhancement of skills to support innovation and recruitment can be secured.
In July 2006 the Marine Sector Skills to Support Innovation and Recruitment Project was initiated to encourage marine companies to develop their workforces through the use of apprentice training schemes. In addition, the project sought to make plain the importance of continuous support and development of staff by creating relevant courses with FE, HE or other Training Providers.
Marine South East has identified that companies were becoming aware of the problems they faced due to the ageing workforce and the increasing need to recruit young people who could be trained to fill the skills gap. The project explored methods of increasing the use of apprenticeship training in the marine sector and also encouraged firms to develop the new technology skills needed by their workforce. One of these methods included the use and development of mentors within a business.
Two hundred employers were contacted as part of the project. On the whole these businesses were SME's, with a high percentage being small firms. During the initial contact, notes were made of the firms' views on apprenticeships. The experience of the companies ranged from those who were operating apprenticeship training schemes through to those who had no experience or need.
The companies recruited for the mentor training programme comprised of two large firms and twelve SME's, and all were aware of the value of training apprentices. Several were already running schemes and the remainder were either considering the use of apprenticeships to develop their workforce, or were hoping to recruit people over 25 years of age for re-skilling or up-skilling.
The development of the mentor training was welcomed by the companies and the staff who participated with the exception of one. Based on an Institute of Leadership and Management Level 2 Qualification with NVQ Level 3 Units it provided a course which enabled the mentors to work together and share their experience.
Crucially, the project validated the significant benefits which can be gained by using mentors to support apprentices and trainees. It also achieved its objective of motivating participants to cultivate suitable styles of mentoring to assist their trainees. In order to remain competitive in the global economy there is a real need for businesses to develop flexible, multi-skilled workforces by teaching them the skills required. This should be an on-going process as their staff progress through their career, from entry level to later years.
Furthermore, the project findings highlight the value of raising the profile of the marine sector with schools and colleges, and how these links can be used to an advantage when recruiting new staff. The findings also provide an example of how a company can prepare its workforce for new challenges by developing suitable training in collaboration with a partner. In addition, the report describes how companies are maintaining their competitiveness by adopting new technology and automated processes as well as ensuring that their workforces are trained and kept aware of the future business needs.
The project has identified areas of good practice for aiding workforce development and acknowledges the barriers which can impede it. For example, there are still many companies who are not adopting a proactive approach and their ability to remain competitive will be reduced as time goes on. The Marine Sector Skills to Support Innovation and Recruitment report features the differing views between the two types of companies and also shows some of the areas that the new Government skills initiatives will have to address.
The findings of this report will be integral to many aspects of meeting the workforce development needs in technology skills, whose importance has recently been explored within Marine South East's Technology Skills project. Led by Marine South East and the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC), the next phase of the Technology Skills project aims to pilot a coordinated, demand-led approach to the funding and delivery of priority skills provision across the aerospace and marine sectors in the South East.
Marine South East continues to develop further ties with the Education & Business Partnerships, training providers, and schools within the region, as well as linking them with businesses. The Schools Marine Challenge keeps on growing and is being integrated into the schools' curricular programme, and Marine South East is also facilitating in the development of a marine skills training centre in Kent.
The Government's strategy for 'World-class Skills' offers the opportunity for employers to be in the driving seat on training, education, and its direct correlation to Gross Value Added (GVA). It is hoped that the findings of this project will further encourage companies to be on the starting grid to establish a competitive position within the global market.
If you would like to receive a full copy of the report email david@marinesoutheast.co.uk or log onto http://www.marinesoutheast.co.uk/docs/research/ and click on Workforce Development
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