Member Article

Leading role for Opus at management apprenticeship launch

A PROJECT manager at a leading regional contractor played a key role in the House of Commons launch of an innovative new apprenticeship scheme.

Scott Louis, from specialist electrical and mechanical contractors Opus Building Services, is Deputy Chair of the Government’s Trailblazer group which recommended degree level apprenticeships in management and leadership to the Government. The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills gave the green light to the scheme earlier this year and it was officially launched at the House of Commons earlier this month when Scott delivered a key address.

“I talked about how the apprenticeship scheme will benefit small and medium-sized businesses like Opus – and explained how it could help create a meaningful career for many who are stars in their own businesses, but who don’t have a university education or management training,” explained Scott.

The Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship is aimed at increasing the number of professional managers in the UK and improving productivity and business growth and is now available at many leading business schools across the UK. People who complete the apprenticeship will earn a degree in management and business, and become a Chartered Manager and member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

The apprenticeship will take about four years to complete and will be provided by their employer in partnership with a university or business school. It will be primarily delivered in the workplace through work-based projects, but will also include university study time.

The scheme is an alternative to university, with the worker earning a full-time salary throughout the course of their training and studies. Once qualified, workers will be ready for managerial roles with operational responsibilities.

“It’s not necessarily aimed at school leavers in the construction sector, but it could be in other areas. It will really help develop existing staff who have the ability but not the qualifications to go further. I hope it will also lead to a decrease in ‘accidental managers’ – those who are in management positions, but have never had any management training,” added Scott.

The influential group behind the initiative included senior representation from household names such as Serco, Sainsburys, Virgin Media, Boots, the BBC and the Co-op.

Scott, 36, who has been with Boldon-based Opus for eight years and lives in Ouston, led his company’s discussions on the Trailblazer scheme for over a year.

Scott was accompanied to the launch by Opus Managing Director Gavin Richardson, a national board member of the CMI, and who said he was proud of the role his company had played in developing the innovative qualification.

“Opus helped represent the UK’s SME’s and Scott has done a fantastic job in representing the sector, the company and the region. His role has helped to raise the profile of the company, but I know the group has benefitted from his experience and knowledge.

“I think the dgree level apprenticeship in management will help open doors for a lot of people across the UK – people who perhaps have felt they’d reached as far as they could go in their companies. This apprenticeship could help them up the managerial ladder,” Gavin added.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Opus Building Services .