Member Article

Apprentices Provide Benefits to Business

Apprenticeships are a key area of focus for the government this year as part of its drive to tackle youth unemployment. Apprenticeships are also becoming increasingly popular amongst employers for the numerous benefits they bring to businesses.

Offering both short term cost effectiveness and long term return on investment, apprenticeships are fast becoming the recruitment method of choice for many well-known employers such as BT, Proctor & Gamble and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, many of whom are choosing to recruit apprentices for positions that were previously open to graduates only.

Increasing numbers of businesses are having difficulty recruiting employees with the right skills levels. Economic uncertainty has made skilled workers less likely to leave their current positions, and many industry leaders are advising employers to train staff members internally to ensure they have a reliable source of skilled workers going forward.

Apprenticeships provide a structured training programme for virtually any job role, ensuring that apprentices develop the practical, up to date skills and knowledge they need to perform well and helping your organisation to build the skilled workforce your business needs to remain competitive.

A 2008 survey showed that 83 percent of employers who have hired apprentices rely on the programme to provide the skilled workers they need for the future. And with funding available to cover the cost of training for apprenticeships, recruiting and training an apprentice can prove more cost effective than hiring a more experienced worker.

Apprentices also make motivated and productive members of staff. With strong competition for apprenticeship places, apprentices are generally highly enthusiastic and engaged employees, who have made an active commitment to develop and improve their skills in their chosen career.

A high proportion of apprentices remain loyal to the company who trained them after their apprenticeship is completed, often moving into higher level roles or into management positions. The enthusiasm and high engagement levels of apprentices can also be infectious, with over three quarters of employers noticing an overall increase in productivity as a result of taking on apprentices.

In addition to giving a young person the opportunity to gain a strong footing in one of over 200 job roles, hiring an apprentice could lead to a range of other benefits within your organisation.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by DLC Apprenticeships .