As an employer finding new talent that has the relevant skills, experience and drive can be a challenge. This can be costly, especially in the current jobs market, where demand for certain skills is higher than ever.
A report by the Open University finds that 91% of UK companies struggle to find workers with the right skills. As a result this is costing them a collective £6.33 billion a year. The best way to tackle this shortage is to provide training and development opportunities to your existing employees, or to hire apprentices. Apprentices work similarly to your other employees, but they will also spend some of their time on training and development.
Employers are spending more than £6 billion a year on the skills shortage, predominantly through recruitment activities, but buying skills and not building them is a short-term approach, which ultimately won’t pay dividends. It is crucial that organisations take a more sustainable approach, using training to address their skills gaps from within and reducing their spend in the long-term.
David Willett
Corporate Director at The Open University
Apprenticeships are a great way to boost the skills of your existing workforce and/or take on new exciting talent. Below we have covered a number of questions employers often have when they’re thinking about recruiting apprentices.
What are the benefits of recruiting an apprentice?
The National Apprenticeship Service found that productivity had improved by 76% for employers who had an established apprenticeship programme. In addition, 75% of employers reported that apprenticeships improved the quality of their product or service.
Other benefits that apprenticeships provide include:
– increasing employee satisfaction
– reducing staff turnover
– reducing recruitment costs
How to employ an apprentice?
You will first need to choose an apprenticeship that meets your businesses’ needs, after which you can pick your preferred training provider.
Once you have found the apprenticeship that’s most suitable, you can apply for funding through the government and start your hiring campaign!
Can an apprenticeship help with existing employee training and development?
Yes, it definitely can! You can contact a training provider to enroll your existing employee(s) on any of the available apprenticeships.
How much will an apprenticeship cost the employer?
Vast majority of businesses pay a maximum of just 5% of the apprenticeship training costs, the remaining 95% is covered by the Government.
Hopefully this article has provided some insight into what apprenticeships can offer your organisation. You can read about employing apprentices in more depth on the government’s website, or you can find the right training provider for the skills you need.
If you’ve already decided to recruit an apprentice, then there are a few ways you can help make the most out of the apprenticeship experience.
