CWC Workforce to cut apprenticeship costs for contractors

A new labour agency has been set-up that employs trainees directly in a bid to cut the costs of apprenticeships for contractors.

CWC Workforce believes its new service will help ease skills shortages by making it cheaper and easier for contractors to take-on trainees.

The agency is the brainchild of tax expert Carolyn Walsh who has battled for years to maintain the labour-only status of subcontractors under the CIS scheme.

She said: "Major contractors do not employ workers in construction trades - they leave this to the companies in their supply chain, many of which buy in agency labour. It’s a lose, lose situation.

"Without direct employment there can be no training opportunities so we have set up an agency which employs direct. That means we manage training and all other employer responsibilities on behalf of our clients."

CWC can supply construction trainees to contractors on a temporary or permanent basis and all the youngsters have completed at least NVQ level 1 in a construction trade. They are also all equipped with CSCS cards.

Contractors simply pay a day rate to CWC and agree for any on-site assessments to take place as part of their studies.

Firms are then given the option to take a trainee on full-time once he is fully qualified.

Walsh said: "Employing trainees is a concern because PAYE and other employer responsibilities make it so costly.

"We act as an intermediary, in place of an employment agency, between contractors and the trainee workforce.

"No-one should expect individual contractors to bear the responsibility of training up the next generation of construction workers, but working together everyone in this industry can make a difference."

For more details visit their website.