Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

ApprenticeshipsInsolvencyLatest NewsRedundancy

Remaining Carillion apprentices to be made redundant

by Ashleigh Webber 1 Aug 2018
by Ashleigh Webber 1 Aug 2018 Mark Thomas/REX/Shutterstock
Mark Thomas/REX/Shutterstock

Almost 350 apprentices employed by collapsed construction giant Carillion will be made redundant after alternative jobs for them were not found.

After the company went into liquidation in January, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) sought to find alternative placements for its 1,200 apprentices.

Redundancy

Redundancy rights

How to decide which employees to include in a redundancy pool

But while 800 were given alternative employment, CITB has been unable to find roles for the 341 apprentices that remained. They have now received their notice of redundancy from the Insolvency Service.

Unite said the decision to make the apprentices redundant in the midst of a construction sector skills crisis was an act of “crass stupidity” and suggested the government could have used its “procurement power” to ensure all Carillion apprentices found alternative employment.

There were 21,010 people in construction apprenticeship placements in 2016/17, the union said, with the now redundant Carillion apprentices making up 1.6% of total construction apprenticeship numbers.

The CITB estimates that the industry needs 31,600 new entrants every year to maintain current levels of output.

The government has set a target of having three million people begin an apprenticeship – across all sectors – by 2020, though recent figures showed the number of people starting a course plummeted 28% between August 2017 and March 2018.

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: “This is an appalling way to treat these apprentices who should have become the backbone of the industry. To dump them and to destroy their training is an act of crass stupidity.

“The dismissal of Carillion’s remaining apprentices once again demonstrates that the construction skills crisis will not be tackled until procurement rules are introduced which require that all companies undertaking public sector contracts must train apprentices.”

The BBC reported that many of the apprentices that will lose their jobs are based in the North East and North West of England.

CITB chief executive Sarah Beale commented: “The liquidation of Carillion had a huge impact on our sector, over the last six months the construction industry has relentlessly rallied to support the 1,148 apprentices in England and 127 apprentices in Scotland affected.

It has found alternative jobs for 777 apprentices in England, while 12 went into full time education. Another provider found employment for 101 apprentices in Scotland.

A spokesperson for the Official Receiver said: “A further 21 jobs have been transferred to new suppliers over the past week and in total, more than 13,500 jobs have been saved.

“Regrettably, 356 people [apprentices and other workers] will be leaving the business as their roles are no longer required but support is available to help them find new work.”

Unite last month said it plans to take legal action on behalf of former Carillion staff who believe it failed to comply with its legal obligation to carry out collective consultation before their redundancy.

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
Sickness absence dropped to record low in 2017
next post
Minister urges employers to create arthritis-friendly workplaces

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Royal Mail managers vote to strike over restructure

30 Jun 2022

How HR can mitigate the risks and reap...

10 Jun 2022

Top 10 HR questions May 2022: Bank holidays

1 Jun 2022

P&O Ferries boss denies reputational damage after mass...

27 May 2022

Maternity leave: Cost of living crisis highlights need...

25 May 2022

Tube strike on 6 June to see 4,000...

24 May 2022

Prime minister steps up calls for 90,000 civil...

13 May 2022

Queen’s Speech: absence of employment bill leaves organisations...

10 May 2022

Morrisons saves 16,000 jobs with McColl’s rescue deal

10 May 2022

A dark day for workers’ rights – why...

29 Apr 2022
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+