A survey by the Woodworking Industry Training Forum (WITForum) has revealed that 45% of fully trained apprentices are loyal to their first job in the industry, going against the “widely held view that apprentices just do not stay beyond the course”, according to the WITForum.
The training survey also revealed that three-quarters of joiners have one or two apprentices on their books, underlining the importance of training on the job to the sector, WITForum training manager Helen Donald has said.
“The picture on apprenticeships looks much better than we expected, with higher retention levels,” said Ms Donald.
“There is no doubt that the majority of respondents feel that apprenticeships are the best way to learn the job.”
Ms Donald added that the WITForum was continuing to analyse the responses generated by the survey and that they would form part of the group’s “commitment to establishing the training needs of the sector”.
