It’s coming to the end of National Apprenticeship Week, and my LinkedIn feed has been overwhelmed with apprentices and their managers sharing their experiences. Throughout the week, I have read many blogs and watched several interviews, all with a common theme of how beneficial apprenticeships can be for not only the person undertaking the apprenticeship but also the employer. Although there has been greater recognition given to apprenticeships, there is still a lack of understanding of the advantages among students, parents, teachers, and employers. I confess that even before I started my apprenticeship, I had no idea about the range of opportunities available and their benefits for employers. So, here is my guide for companies and employers that are considering hiring an apprentice.
Apprentices don’t just learn from you; you can learn from them
The opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise with an apprentice can be incredibly rewarding; not only can you create a positive impact in someone’s life, but you can also help build their career. However, this is not one-sided; there are also many things that you can learn from your apprentice! The nature of an apprenticeship means apprentices dedicate 20% of their working hours to skills development, creating a good work ethic. This means that apprentices are keen to learn and constantly look to gain new skills, which can be shared with their colleagues. In addition, apprentices can offer your company a fresh perspective often creating new and innovative ideas that can increase productivity. According to a survey by the National Apprenticeship Service, 79% of employers agreed that hiring an apprentice helped improve productivity.
Employee retention
With record numbers of job vacancies in the UK, it is increasingly difficult to fill jobs and retain employees. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 94% of employees would stay longer at companies that invest in learning and development. In addition, The Centre for Economics and Business Research found that 65% of apprentices remain working for the company that trained them upon completion of their apprenticeship. Investing both time and money into an apprenticeship scheme will ensure that your apprentices feel valued and improve retention rates.
Investing for the future
Reality check alert! Training an apprentice does take time; however, this investment is rewarded. With proper management and support, your apprentice will be moulded by your company’s values and well inducted into your ways of working becoming a skilled, motivated and indispensable asset. In addition, hiring apprentices will create opportunities for young people, enhancing your company’s reputation; according to a report performed by Ixion Holdings, 67% of employers found that creating an apprenticeship scheme improved their company image. The positive impact of apprenticeships, both internally and externally, will ensure a strong reputation as a company and employer.
Training your apprentice isn’t just your responsibility
If this is your first experience hiring an apprentice, there is no need to worry! You will not be solely responsible for your apprenticeship programme; you will also have the support of an experienced training provider. Training providers not only help you recruit an apprentice who suits your requirements, but they also help deliver the programme in line with industry needs and your specific business goals. Multiverse is my training provider, and my experience with support and training has been outstanding. In spite of the pandemic, Multiverse provides many opportunities to engage with other apprentices in a wide variety of companies. The development, networking, and mentor opportunities available to Multiverse apprentices have helped speed my progress and develop my confidence in my abilities at work. I simply cannot recommend Multiverse as an apprentice training provider highly enough.
There is a reason why more and more companies are setting up their apprenticeship schemes – it works. If you’re considering hiring an apprenticeship and want to speak to someone who has been there and done it, don’t hesitate to drop me a message I would be more than happy to have a chat!
