National Apprenticeship Week: Future-proofing the collections workforce in the new debt landscape

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2021 is ‘Build the Future’ with Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, Gillian Keegan, highlighting that both despite and because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we must look at how apprenticeships can ‘future-proof’ workforces.

The Credit Services Association (CSA) is holding our second Learning & Development Conference (virtually, of course) during National Apprenticeship Week on 9 February 2021 and we know that, in a year following such unprecedented economic and social upheaval, ensuring that the debt collection sector is ‘fit for the future’ is more important than ever.

Despite advances in technology and automation, which have been accelerated due to Covid-19, we firmly believe that the future of debt collection should still have people at its heart. After all, it is real people’s lives we are dealing with and that requires absolute commitment to the development of the people who work in the industry. This year’s Learning & Development Conference will therefore focus on ‘Championing People Development’. As we have steadily grown our Learning & Development (L&D) offering as the UK’s trade body for the debt collection and debt purchase sectors over many years, we have worked hard to champion careers in the industry not just to boost professionalism, but ultimately to improve customer outcomes. With a recession looming and problem debt expected to not only rise but impact more people who’ve never been in debt before more than ever, we must fill skills gaps and continue nurturing talent to navigate this ‘new normal’.

With threat can come opportunity and, as so many people now face unemployment, the chance to re-train, upskill, or lay the foundations for a sustainable career pathway in a sector that plays an important role in society, will be more attractive than it has ever been. There is no doubt that debt collection still struggles with reputational issues caused by misconceptions about the role businesses and individuals within the industry play, but now more than ever we have a chance to highlight the important economic and social impact of ethical practice.

Another opportunity coming out of the crisis is to build on the work that has been done in recent years to promote apprenticeships at both entry level and degree level, as a credible route to a professional qualification while earning and working. 2021 may well be the year that vocational education is no longer overshadowed by academic qualifications and we hope that our apprenticeships, which offer a non-traditional route into the financial services sector, will be a key driver for social mobility.

Likewise, home working becoming the norm throughout the pandemic (and probably beyond) seems to have brought a renewed focus on employee engagement with many feeling more supported and trusted by their employers and managers while working remotely. This has also brought a renewed focus on people development which we hope will continue as we transition back to the office environment.

As with all sectors, in order to survive 2020, the debt collection industry has had to be both incredibly versatile and resilient to adapt to the rapid acceleration of technology and the hard-hit economic and social landscape. To thrive in 2021, we must attract, retain, and continuously upskill the best talent by embedding a lifelong learning culture built on maintaining the highest industry standards.

But the CSA’s specialist apprenticeships and training aren’t just for our members. We deliver them to organisations in wider sectors from insurance to housing where key skills like credit control, counter fraud investigation, and compliance are central to organisational performance and customer engagement. We therefore continue to be keen to widen the reach and impact of our combined industry and L&D knowledge to deliver ‘best in class’ training and apprenticeships in our specialist areas to all employers and learners that need it.

From apprenticeships & professional development, to leadership & culture, and mental health & wellbeing in the workplace, the CSA Learning & Development Conference 2021 will once again provide opportunities for those from HR Directors to apprentices to understand more about the learning & development landscape in the debt collection and wider sectors. Delegates will also gain practical insights into how to maximise their employees’ and their own skills and careers.

The full programme will be released soon, and with a stellar line-up of speakers from Shadow Ministers to apprentices themselves, it will be one not to be missed. Find out more and book your place here: https://www.csa-uk.com/page/learning-conference

L&D Conference 2021

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