During National Apprenticeship Week (5-9 March), MPQC apprentices are working with Mates in Mind, the UK mental health charity, as part of a bid to change mental health attitudes within the British extractives industry.
More than half of the workforce in the extractives sector is over 45, and male workers represent 90% of all employees. According to Mates in Mind, suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50, and those working in construction as a whole are at three times greater risk than the national male average.
Not only does an ageing workforce highlight a pressing need to encourage young people into the sector, but also creates an opportunity to tackle previous approaches to mental health in the workplace.
By educating the next generation from the start of their careers, MPQC, the organisation setting the standards as well as developing qualifications and skills for the British extractives industry, hopes to bring in a new mindset towards mental health. It believes that apprenticeships create the ideal vehicle for implementing change.
Anthony Elgey, general manager of MP Futures, one of MPQC’s three divisions, said: “Mental health is something that employers across the construction sector, including the extractives industry, are signing up to tackle. MPQC aren’t just focused on developing high-quality apprenticeships, but we are looking to develop individuals who will challenge the stigma of mental health issues. By working with Mates in Mind, and instilling their principles into our apprenticeships, we can ensure that the next generation of workers have a positive attitude towards mental health from day one.”
Mates in Mind was established the Health in Construction Leadership Group with the support of the British Safety Council in 2016. It aims to provide clear information to employers on support and guidance on mental health, illness and wellbeing, and how it can be addressed.
Joscelyne Shaw, executive director of Mates in Mind, said: “In a YouGov poll for the Prince’s Trust last year it was found that almost half of those 16- to 25-year-olds polled said that they had themselves experienced a mental health problem; and of those a third felt that admitting to problems could harm their job chances.
“With this understanding Mates in Mind are delighted to be able to work alongside the MPQC in reaching out to support their apprentices – helping to raise their awareness and understanding of mental health; and help overcome the isolation and stigma so many suffer from by instilling an approach that promotes a culture of positive wellbeing throughout the industry.”
