As we enter another year of economic uncertainty, recruiting fresh faces may not be at the top of the corporate agenda for all companies in 2012.
Organisations ranging from large firms through to small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly being asked to balance up diminishing budgets with a need to boost productivity and continue providing high standards of service to customers.
In other words, a key agenda is to deliver more for less or risk losing out to the competition. But in today’s difficult economic climate, recruitment and training activities often aren’t given precedence unless there is a clear business case to be made.
This scenario is causing problems for young people who are trying to start themselves off in a career, get a stable job and learn new skills, however.
As a result, at the end of last year, the government launched ‘The Youth Contract’ in a bid to try and tackle the issue. With almost £1 billion of funding committed over the next three years, the aim is to create nearly half a million apprenticeship places and provide vital support for employers wishing to take them on.
SMEs, which are considered key to the UK’s economic recovery, are now able to access grants worth £1,500 to this end, for example.
Despite the incentives available, however, there are still a number of concerns and myths about apprenticeships, many of which stem from misinformation. Some employers think that the idea is a waste of time and others that it is more hassle than it is worth.
Long-term investment
But there are both benefits to the bottom line as well as in behavioral terms of going down this route. As data from the National Apprenticeship Service has shown, a huge 92% of employers who implement such schemes believe that they lead to the creation of a more motivated and satisfied workforce.
If regarded as a long-term, committed investment, it is possible to generate significant returns, not least because you will be able to develop a skilled pool of employees, moulded to the company’s values and ethos.
But if you are unsure of where to start in all of this, here are some basic things to consider as we enter National Apprenticeship Week (Monday 6 February until Friday 10 February):
- Identify the skills requirements of your business in order to understand where best to target your recruitment activity
- Plan for the fact that, depending on the sector and job role you have in mind, a full-blown apprenticeship can take anything from one to four years to complete
- After ensuring that each candidate fits your business requirements and that they are assigned to the most appropriate training programme to meet your mutual needs, continue to assess their progress regularly in order to ensure that they remain on track
- Be aware that apprenticeship funding is available, but the size of the contribution will vary depending on your industry and the age of your apprentice
- Remember that apprentices are paid members of your workforce and will need to be paid a salary like everyone else.
If you require further help, however, go to one of a wide range of available service providers that can provide you with support from the start to the end of the process.
Finally, it is important to note that an apprentice may not initially have much knowledge of your business or their role. But that does not mean that they won’t be enthusiastic to learn and to gain skills that are directly pertinent to your business, while studying for a relevant qualification.
Therefore, in order to get best out of them, it is crucial that employers take as much time to work with and support their apprentices as they would with any other staff member. The time that they spend will be repaid in innumerable ways, not least by the creation of a motivated and highly-engaged team.
Louise Timperley is head of apprenticeships at training provider, Kaplan.
