Use your skills to educate youngsters
Tradespeople are being urged to attend an event that will help them take the first steps towards becoming a tutor.
A virtual event has been organised for people who are thinking about passing their skills on to apprentices by becoming a tutor – see further below for details.
Tutors are needed at colleges across South London to help train apprentices and solve the shortage of construction workers at sites across the region.
One tutor who knows all about teaching construction apprentices is 56-year-old David Pullin.
He has been a qualified teacher for 25 years, mainly teaching CAD design and construction programmes at South Thames College.
“I started out doing an apprenticeship and then I worked as a painter and decorator for a number of years before starting at the college. I’ve had an incredible time as a tutor and recently branched out from full-time teaching into setting up my own limited business supporting management at the college.”
Alongside the many benefits of being a tutor, such as the generous holidays and flexible days, David said there are lots of perks that come with teaching.
“As well as the stability and reassurance of a steady profession, I get great satisfaction from watching the students grow and develop,” he said.
“I still keep in contact with many old students and it is great to see them progress in life – it’s a genuine highlight of teaching.
I’ve seen some students go from Level 1 NVQ all the way to degree level.”
David said he would advise anyone thinking of being a construction tutor to get some more information and talk to other tutors.
“I recommend anyone thinking of becoming a tutor to give it a go,” he said.
“It may be best to attend an open day at a college where you can informally chat with tutors.
“These sessions are aimed at tradespeople who may be thinking about a career change.”
The SLP is a sub-regional collaboration of five London boroughs: Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton.
Supported by the Mayor of London, the campaign comes after research revealed a shortage of workers in the construction industry.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) recently released its annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) report which shows that Greater London needs 22,800 extra workers by 2027 – that means an annual recruitment boost of 4,560.
The campaign is seeing councils, colleges and businesses in South London working together to find the construction apprentices and tutors needed across the industry.
The virtual events include one for anyone wanting information on becoming a tutor on March 27 at 5pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/become-a-tutor-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576344861997 and one for apprentices on March 30 at 4.30pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apprenticeships-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-5761951441
For more information email csl@southlondonpartnership.co.uk or visit http://southlondonpartnership.co.uk/skills/mayors-construction-academy-hub/
David Pullin Picture: South London Partnership
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