While apprenticeships continue to grow, there are still many employers not making use of apprenticeships to grow their business. We’ve highlighted some of the reasons apprenticeships are a great way to boost your business.
At Kent, we know that apprenticeships bring so much to the workplace. By hiring an apprentice, employers get to help mould their own workforce while benefitting from the up to date knowledge and skills being taught by expert academics.
Here’s just a few of the reasons all employers should consider creating an apprenticeship scheme in their organisation:
They add value to your organisation – A big part of every apprenticeship programme is their End-point Assessment, which generally consist of a workplace project, presentation with questions and professional discussion. The project element is designed to address a real-life need a workplace project that helps solve a business problem or address a real-life area for improvement.
They offer a cost-effective training solution – Apprenticeship training is cost-effective for businesses, because apprentices contribute to the workplace as they learn. Apprenticeships can be funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, if your organisation has a pay bill of £3m+ but there is also government co-investment funding for small employers and levy transfer options.
They can enhance your business and boast productivity – Research shows that apprentices bring an increase in productivity for their employer. Not only this, but the majority of apprenticeship employers agreed that hiring apprentices made their business more competitive in the modern marketplace.
Create a company ethos of continued growth and lifelong learning – Whether you take on new apprentices or upskill existing staff, having an apprenticeship scheme can help create progression routes into and through your organisation. Providing opportunities for training and/or upskilling has been shown to increase staff retention within a business. It increases employee loyalty as well as engagement and motivation.
Get the job-specific skills you need, along with softer skills – Apprenticeship Standards were created by trailblazer groups of employers. The groups dug down into what is required from specific job roles and worked with academics and training providers to developed tailored standards that deliver the key competencies needed by employers. While the knowledge taught might be industry specific, the skills and behaviours cover softer skills that are needed in all careers and organisations.
If you’re interested in taking on apprentices within your business, get in touch with us for a call with our Business Development Team who can talk to you about the programmes, funding and recruitment: recruitapprentices@kent.ac.uk.