Recently I went to a business development workshop with various business leaders from the local area. During the workshop the subject of apprentices came up and whether or not it is worth all the hassle to take one on.  Since that meeting the apprentice subject has cropped up a few times with various people and it seems that many business leaders have very similar thoughts to taking on an apprentice.

The general preconception of hiring an apprentice appears to be a fear that they will have to spend a lot of time training the apprentice – time they don’t have, apparently. I can understand why they think training will take a lot of their time but it doesn’t have to.  You can spend a decent amount of time on training and still get your task sheet done. When I first started at Appletree I learnt the basic admin tasks first then more and more about the marketing activities we do. 6 months down the line and I was helping the business to create new innovative ideas on how we can grow.  Nearly a year down the line and I’m even managing a lot of projects and producing a lot of high level work.

The apprenticeship scheme can really help you to develop your business and in the process gain a valuable member of staff. Below are some statics that I think will be very useful to know when looking the apprenticeship scheme.

• 77% of employers believe Apprenticeships make them more competitive;
• 76% say that Apprenticeships provide higher overall productivity;
• 80% feel that Apprenticeships reduce staff turnover;
• 83% of employers rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future;
• Two-thirds of respondents believe that their Apprenticeship programme helps them fill vacancies more quickly, whilst
• 88% believe that Apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce;
• 59% report that training apprentices is more cost-effective than hiring skilled staff, with 59% believing that Apprenticeships lead to lower overall training costs and 53% feeling that they reduce recruitment costs;
• In terms of the return on investment linked to Apprenticeships, 41% say that their apprentices make a valuable contribution to the business during their training period, while a further third (33%) report that apprentices add value within their first few weeks (or even from Day One);
• 57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management positions within the company;
• Over three-quarters of respondents expect apprenticeships to play a bigger part in their recruitment policy in the future.

Statics sourced from app www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Employers/The-Benefits.aspx

My apprenticeship really helped me to define what I want to do in my career and how I am going to get there. During the apprenticeship I have encountered struggles and difficulties, but won’t you find that with any job? If you can name a job stress free then send me an application form. The number of apprentices is rising each by a dramatic amount, I can only hope that more businesses are seeing the value.

Do you have an apprentice? Are you thinking of taking on an apprentice? Are you looking at starting an apprenticeship? Get in touch as I would like to hear any thoughts regarding the apprenticeship scheme and any experiences you may have. Or if you have any questions about apprenticeships then please get in touch.