Government Research from 2017 shows that 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation. In addition, over 75% highlighted ‘improved productivity, better quality of product or service, and higher staff morale. 67% of employers say that employing apprentices improved their image in the sector.
Investing in someone’s skills and development breeds motivation and loyalty, which then reduces turnover, absenteeism and recruitment costs. At the council, 86% of our apprentices stay with us on completion of their apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship programmes allow employers to ‘grow your own’; providing staff with the exact skills, competencies and ethos your organisation needs. This has proved beneficial to many employers, where being in control of the training is a better model for the business rather than seeking out and appointing staff with more generic skill sets that have been gained elsewhere.
Traditional recruitment tends to favour graduates and people who have achieved academic qualifications, which means that many employers miss out on a large pool of talented people. Our experience with apprenticeships has shown us that many people who may not have been suited to academic learning are well placed to ‘learn by doing’ and thrive within an apprenticeship.
Since 2017, apprenticeships have been opened up from entry level and manual roles. It is now possible to focus your recruitment and training on technically skilled and experienced staff, with the opportunity to consider higher and degree level apprenticeships as an option for new hires or existing members of staff. Changes in some industries, such as construction and digital technology, have been rapid, which have created large skills gaps. Apprenticeships that offer high level technical skills training and industry exposure can help to address this gap,
Employing apprentices in your teams also offers something for existing experienced members of staff, particularly where there are opportunities for passing on their skills and knowledge through supervising or mentoring, which can be motivating for the wider team as well.
Apprenticeships can be used to upskill and / or retrain existing staff, provided the training is enabling new skills and knowledge to be developed and helps them to achieve competence in their chosen occupation. This improves morale and motivation, and promotes loyalty to the organisation.
ANTHONY IMPEY MBE, FOUNDER OF OPTIMITY PRESENTING AT THE HACKNEY APPRENTICESHIP NETWORK LAUNCH
Apprenticeships are a key tool to create meaningful employment opportunities for our residents:
- making sure everyone benefits from economic growth
- offering inclusive, non-graduate career pathways
- supporting those whose disadvantages in the labour market have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Page last reviewed: November 8, 2021