Councils should consider instituting apprenticeship programmes to compensate for the “brain-drain” of ICT talent into the private sector, according to a new report.
Councils should consider instituting apprenticeship programmes to compensate for the “brain-drain” of ICT talent into the private sector, according to a new report.
A briefing by public sector ICT representative body Socitm says that staff moving to the private sector in search of better pay is a growing problem for the sector.
It said that although few public sector organisations have adopted apprenticeships, they could deliver significant future benefits at a low risk.
The briefing said: “Although there are significant costs to employers, apprenticeships can deliver talented personnel with appropriate knowledge and skills.”
Public service employers in South East England, it said, are already reporting severe competition from the finance sector in London.
Research for Socitm’s IT Trends survey found that ICT workforce planning, within which adopting an apprenticeship scheme would sit, is not on the agendas of most local public services.
Only 15% of respondents said that workforce planning was either ‘developed’ or ‘highly developed’ within their organization.
However, Socitm belives that the National Apprenticeship Service, launched in April 2009, could mitigate the effects of staff leaving for the private sector. Apprenticeships, aimed at anyone over 16, combine practical training in a job with formal study.
An apprentice spends time in the workplace to gain job-specific skills, while studying part-time towards a related qualification up to HND or Foundation degree.
The briefing said: “Benefits of these ‘home-grown’ candidates include having skills that match organisational needs, a good understanding of the prevailing culture and knowledge of informal networks that help get things done efficiently and effectively.”
The briefing said that to get the best from the scheme for all parties it is important that the apprentice has a real job within the organisation, with a specific role and responsibilities.
But it added that “this must fit alongside their training, which undoubtedly will impose fixed time constraints”.
