TGI has a long relationship with the Institute of Carpenters, and welcomed its president Geoff Rhodes to the Coutanchez campus.
‘Over the last 30 years, we’ve not been doing enough to encourage youngsters into these different craft skills,’ he said.
‘Across the UK, and generally in the construction industry, there is a real shortage of skilled young people. The UK government has recognised that and there is now a change in focus from university education – it’s like they’ve recently rediscovered the word “apprenticeships”.
‘There’s a real opportunity for young people to come into these types of roles. There’s so many different routes to take and they can take you all over the world.
‘There are great careers ahead and, incidentally, these jobs won’t be replaced by AI.
‘These skills are going to be needed. Wood is a wonderful material to work with and as the world’s most renewable, raw material, it’s a great time to be in the timber industry.’
Second year apprentice Max Rive backed up that view.
‘Ever since starting carpentry, I’ve just loved everything about it,’ he said.
‘Creating different things and being able to turn a room into someone else’s dream, really makes you have pride in the work you do.’
Mr Rhodes said that the counterside of the good news for the trade was the lack of provision for training in the industry.
‘Now we are having to play catch-up. The reality is, a lot of colleges need more investment. The curriculum is out of date, we need teachers, funding, upgraded qualifications and so on. If we hadn’t taken the eye off the ball for so long, we wouldn’t be faced with these challenges.
‘However here in Guernsey, and in fairness, Jersey, you’ve held things together much more than the mainland, because of some of the traditional craft skills training, the approach from the staff, and the way that you’re working with local employers. I sense there’s a really strong relationship between employers and local businesses, which is really positive.’
Mr Rhodes, who will stand down after 11 years as president next year, said he was very impressed with the set up at TGI.
‘The skills of the tutors and the output from the students here has earned them a whole variety of different awards over the years.
‘And just walking into this workshop – you can immediately see the detail, care, and work. Everything is neat and tidy, it’s organised – it’s just how it should be.’
The IoC is a professional body that some 55 colleges throughout the UK are in membership with, all teaching carpentry, joinery and woodworking skills.
‘It’s excellent to have the IoC over,’ said Jacques Perree, TGI’s carpentry & joinery curriculum lead.
‘I feel proud to show what we’re already offering here, and it’s great to have the support. To hear that the UK is far from where it needs to be, but that we’ve managed to stay on a good route, has been really interesting, and reassuring to hear.
‘Some of our guys have done exceptionally well in national IoC competitions, which is great for them and awesome exposure for Guernsey.’
‘Carpentry and joinery is our most buoyant, largest area,’ added Chris Torode, director of apprenticeships.
‘It’s the only apprenticeship in the college that offers four separate qualifications. We’ve got about 70 students on the programme currently, and a tremendous appetite from industry to onboard more apprentices in September – we’re normally oversubscribed. And that’s down to our facilities, and having the right talent and expertise within our staffing. We try to provide a well-rounded, multi-skilled individual. And from my perspective, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
TGI has had a number of successes in the Institute’s annual competitions, including student Gareth Foster placing first regionally and second nationally in last year’s Carpenters’ Craft Competition.
Mr Rhodes was also interested to hear about the annual pan-island competition between apprentices in the Crown Dependencies and consider how the Institute might be able to support it.