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Junior Engineering Engagement Programme

ABM UK’s Junior Engineering Engagement Programme enters third year
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Facilities management services provider ABM UK has kicked off year three of its Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P.), which aims to tackle misperceptions amongst children and their parents of the facilities management (FM) industry, while creating a pipeline of future technical talent.

The third year will build on the success of the programme, which has been delivered by ABM and partners to over 280 students since 2017. In addition to this figure, the J.E.E.P. Teacher Pack has also been downloaded by thousands of teachers for self-delivery.

Supported by education delivery partner, The Transformation Trust, ABM UK will take the immersive programme into twelve new schools, reaching new students in London, Leeds, Manchester and Bradford. Running from November 2019 to March 2020, year three will see over 250 budding engineers participate in the programme.

In addition to the course being delivered by ABM and partners in schools, a teacher pack has been developed. This is available to all teachers to download on the J.E.E.P. microsite and Times Education Supplement. Created for use in secondary schools, the pack incorporates everything teachers need from experiment guides, equipment lists, presentations and worksheets. These resources are designed to be delivered in schools over four full days.

When asked for feedback on the success of the programme, a hundred percent of teachers agreed that their students were more interested in learning skills in STEM following their involvement in J.E.E.P.

ABM UK Director, Adam Baker, said: “The past two years have been a huge success, going from 32 students in year one to over 250 in year three is fantastic. Targeting schools in ‘opportunity areas’ has been a huge focus – we want to ensure all young people have the same opportunities to learn about the variety of paths to success available to them… university is not the only way!”

“Research from final module surveys revealed that there was a 14% increase in students considering engineering and facilities management as a career and a 24% rise in the understanding and importance of apprenticeships.

“Seeing feedback like this shows us that the programme is working. Our goal is to change perceptions of apprenticeships and the FM industry across the UK and we’re in it for the long haul!”

Cate Smith, Senior Programme Manager at the Transformation Trust, added: “We are so pleased to be working with ABM UK on year three of the J.E.E.P. Last year, we saw huge success with the nine participating schools and received incredibly positive feedback across the board in our end of project evaluations.

“Our hope is that the continuing success of the J.E.E.P can pave the way for other initiatives like this, and ultimately support the FM industry in closing the skills gap. Initiatives like this are a great way to introduce young people to a new interest through fun, curriculum-linked activities and experiments. It’s our job to deliver the J.E.E.P in the most engaging way possible and to ensure the students leave excited about their potential future in FM!”

For more information on the programme, visit www.jeep-abm.org .   

ABM UK’s J.E.E.P programme produces first wave of graduates
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Thirty-six school children from West London graduated from the world’s first Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P), which first started in January 2018.

The programme seeks to change perceptions of apprenticeships and make a real impact in the engineering and facilities management sectors by making use of the expertise offered by ABM UK employees.

The graduation follows research highlighting that sixty per cent of young people were unlikely to consider working in the engineering and facilities management industries, fuelling the creation of a skills gap.

Students from Northolt High School, Brentside High School and Featherstone High School presented their final projects, exploring how schools can be more sustainable, at ABM’s training centre in Greenford.

Each student has been awarded an official commendation from certified industry body, the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM, formerly BIFM).

Adam Baker, ABM UK director, said: “We have a responsibility as an industry to engage young people and demonstrate the attractive careers available, whether you are entering the industry through an apprenticeship or a university degree. The first year of our J.E.E.P initiative is a fantastic step towards doing this and we’re delighted that it’s been such a success.

“We set out to change perceptions of technical careers and the feedback from our students has been overwhelmingly positive. There’s clear evidence that exposing young people to the realities of the job, coupled with the right education, can transform how careers in engineering and facilities management are viewed. I wish the thirty-six young people every success in the future.”

Linda Hausmanis, Chief Executive of the IWFM, said: “The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (formerly BIFM) is delighted to support ABM UK in this initiative. Today’s graduation marks an important moment for the industry – it’s a step towards making apprenticeships in facilities management a stronger proposition for young people looking at career choices, and compliments IWFM’s work to reposition the FM profession as a career of choice not chance.

“There’s a serious skills gap in the industry, which can only be plugged if we pull together to highlight the fulfilling end careers we can offer. We look forward to next year when the programme aims to engage even more young people in careers in workplace and facilities management.”

Over the course of the year, students studied a syllabus comprising of 10 modules that cover the basic principles of engineering and facilities management. Topics such as heating, security and customer services were also included alongside theories of induction, electricity and energy. The course also allowed students to visit The London Transport Museum Depot and Heathrow Airport to explore the everyday reality of jobs in engineering and facilities management.

Morgan from Northolt High School said: “When I started the J.E.E.P course I had heard the word ‘apprentice’ before but I wasn’t sure what an apprenticeship was, or what a career in facilities management was. Now I understand about what careers are available and also what they are about. I’m even thinking about being an electrician when I’m older.”

Speaking of the value of apprenticeships in her role as J.E.E.P ambassador, Stemettes co-founder and CEO Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon said: “University is often publicised as the ‘only’ route but this is not true. Apprenticeships are a fantastic viable alternative, which allows young people to earn while they learn and then, often before they are 20 years of age, have debt-free foundations from which to build a solid, well-paid career. Not enough people know about the breadth and availability of apprenticeships; Initiatives such as the J.E.E.P positively profile the virtues of technical careers and engage young people in the options available to them at an age when they are forming views on their career paths.”

J.E.E.P is supported by a host of industry partners including Helistrat, SMI Workwear, Electric Centre, Westbury Filtermation, Trinity Security and Fire and Diversey.

ABM UK is calling for more schools and industry partners to get in touch and be part of the 2019 programme. For more details about ABM’s Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P) visit www.jeep-abm.org

FM Industry Report: 36% of parents don’t know what an apprenticeship is
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Parents of young people in the UK don’t know what an apprenticeship is, signaling a wider awareness problem which is impacting career choices and creating a skills gaps in key industries. 

The research, conducted by ABM UK, follows news of the T-levels programme and the Apprentice Levy – which aim to present young people with more choices in educational pathways.

However, at the same time reports from the UK government show a decline in new apprentices for March 2018, which are down 28 per cent compared to the same period a year ago.

The research surveyed 2,000 British parents of children aged 11 to 16 and 2,000 children aged 11 to 16.

With 36 per cent of parents of children aged 11 to 16 unsure what an apprenticeship is, it’s no surprise that the majority (68%) of young people don’t know either, despite being at the age that they will start to make decisions about the direction of their career. 

However, Mum and Dad are in the driving seat when it comes to career choices. When asked who or what influences these decisions, Mum and Dad together were number one (66%), followed by teachers and school (41%), the lessons children enjoy (31%) and then friends (14%).  

ABM UK Director Adam Baker said:“We were shocked to find a genuine lack of knowledge on apprenticeships amongst parents, and that many still consider them to be a last resort for children who fail their exams. It shows a need for a more unified approach and a better way of communicating, especially with parents, whose influence alongside teachers is critical. 

“When a young person is set to choose a university, there’s a huge amount of support from schools, parents and educational bodies such as UCAS. We need similar representation for apprenticeships and technical careers to ensure young people in the UK don’t miss out on enriching, lucrative and credible career options. It’s vital we give parents and schools more informationand empower them to show children all the options open to them.”

Further findings revealed that for those parents who knew what an apprenticeship was, just 14 per cent considered it to be a good option, with three times as many parents (42%) saying that they wanted their children to attend university, despite crippling tuition fees and long-term debt prospects.  

The top reasons given for not encouraging their child to undertake an apprenticeship were that they were thought to be poorly paid (43%), because they see it as a last resort for those who fail their exams (37%), and that apprenticeships don’t lead to successful careers (17%).

The engineering and facilities management industries are particularly disadvantaged by the awareness gap; 60 per cent of young people said that they were unlikely to even consider working in engineering or facilities management, with over a third (39%) saying that they wouldn’t consider working in this area because they didn’t know anything about it. When asked,just a quarter of parents said they would encourage their children to consider careers in these areas. 

ABM UK commissioned the research as part of its initiative to attract new talent to the engineering and facilities management industry. In January this year it welcomed 36 West London schoolchildren into the pilot of its first-ever Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P).

Plans are in place to extend the scheme to further schools from September 2018. The move recognised that, despite government initiatives like the Apprenticeship Levy and the introduction of T-levels, businesses have a responsibility to safeguard the future, too.

Baker added: “Our programme aims to actively recruit new talent into the industry – it’s time to shake off the view that technical careers are about oily rags and no prospects. In reality recruits in this sector are in such high demand that graduate apprentices are earning between £26,000 and £30,000 just a year after qualifying – usually before they’re 20 years old – and they have no debt. 

“This is an issue we need to tackle now. We know that business leaders across the industry acknowledge that shortages of skilled staff will impact the success of their business, making it clear that filling the knowledge gap doesn’t solely sit with the government or parents. It’s everyone’s responsibility – including industry bodies and commercial enterprises – to collaborate in fixing the problem.”

In her role as an advocate of ABM UK’s J.E.E.P programme, Stemettes co-founder and CEO Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, said: “The report told us that just 16 per cent of young people considered technical roles to be ‘for boys’, but we know that 89 per cent of the UK’s current engineering workforce is male. That means that for 84 per cent of young people, a gender barrier has been crossed and that engineering and facilities management is well positioned to set the standard for better balance in the future. To make this happen we need to leverage the influence that parents and teachers have by giving them the right information.

“University is often publicised as the ‘only’ route but this is not true. Apprenticeships are a fantastic viable alternative, which allows young people to earn while they learn and then, often before they are 20 years of age, have debt-free foundations from which to build a solid, well-paid career. For many, this is the perfect route to a fulfilling and successful career – not enough people know about the breadth and availability of apprenticeships.”

British Institute of Facilities Management CEO Linda Hausmanis said: “We welcome this important research by ABM UK and the excellent J.E.E.P. initiative. The facilities and workplace management industry is currently experiencing a serious skills gap preventing it from reaching its full economic potential. This is a diverse industry with relatively low barriers to entry and yet excellent prospects, supported by a career pathway from entry to executive level.”

“The awareness gap to potential opportunities highlighted by this research evidences a long-suspected need for concerted, early intervention to promote facilities management as a career of choice and its technical education route of entry. BIFM has recently partnered with the Department for Work and Pensions to that end and is seeking further opportunities for collaboration on this important matter to identify and encourage the next generation of facilities management professionals.”

ABM UK has already collaborated with suppliers and clients who see the value in taking action, and the company will be looking at competitors for their involvement as the initiative develops throughout 2018, the Year of The Engineer.  

For full details of the research commissioned by ABM UK, or ABM’s Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P) visit www.jeep-abm.org. 

ABM UK looks to inspire young talent during National Apprenticeship Week
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Facilities firm ABM UK has marked National Apprenticeship Week through its Junior Engineering Engagement Programme (J.E.E.P) and a special day of recognition for its own apprentices.

The J.E.E.P programme’s vision originated from ABM UK’s group managing director, Andy Donnell, who started his career as an apprentice electrician when he was 16-years-old.

Donnell successfully worked his way up the career ladder to oversee the acquisition of Westway Services (now ABM UK) by American services giant, ABM, and now holds the chief role at the award-winning company.

On Wednesday the company hosted a special day for their own apprentices at its training centre in London in order to inspire young talent. Attendees were given the opportunity to speak to the ABM UK leadership team; learn more about the broader industry and company strategy; and get to know each other and share experiences.

J.E.E.P launched just weeks after the UK Government officially announced its landmark campaign, the Year of Engineering, which recognises the significant impact the skills shortage is having on the UK’s engineering industry’s productivity and growth. The campaign is pledging to work with industry partners to offer a million direct and inspiring experiences of engineering to young people throughout 2018.

Supported by a team of educational experts, ABM UK has developed a syllabus that will be delivered to 36 Year Seven children from three London Borough of Ealing secondary schools: Northolt High School, Brentside High School, and Featherstone High School.

Running from January to July 2018, the pilot programme will engage pupils in engineering and facilities management with interactive sessions, and educate them that careers in these sectors are full of opportunities and earning potential. Topics covered include electrics, cooling and sustainability, while field trips to London’s Heathrow Airport and Transport for London’s train maintenance facility will explain how engineering plays out in a career setting.