FEATURE: SKILLS & TRAINING
Apprentices, can they really help your business prosper?
With colleges being encouraged to offer more Apprenticeships and with less emphasis and funding support available for traditional classroom delivery for employed individuals, are we missing a trick if we don’t provide apprenticeship opportunities as part of our Business Strategy?
First of all, what are Apprenticeships these days?
According to
Apprenticeships.org.uk; Apprenticeships are work- based training programmes designed around the needs of employers, which lead to national recognised qualifications. You can use Apprenticeships to train both new and existing employees and funding is available to train apprentices.
At Forster Community College we see Apprenticeships as both mutually beneficial and a cost-effective way for your business to develop skill sets and help your staff to progress.
So, in what ways can business benefit from Apprenticeships?
1 Apprenticeships can help businesses across all sectors by offering a route to harness fresh new talent.
2 Apprenticeships can develop and recognise the skills already found in your teams to nationally identified levels required to be successful in the marketplace.
If you are looking to recruit staff, there are inherent costs and, of course, if you bring in a fully trained and experienced individual, this can be very costly. By working with colleges you can find, not only a potential pool of vibrant enthusiastic fresh talent, but a member of staff looking to learn and develop to fill the exact requirements to be successful in the role. Training apprentices can also be more cost effective than hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs, even when you take into account any contribution to the cost of their learning which a college will ask for. Apprentices also tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that invests in them. An apprentice is with you because they want to be – they have made an active choice to learn on the job and a commitment to a specific career. If you are looking at Apprenticeships for existing staff there are still real returns to your bottom line to be made. Apprenticeships will help improve productivity, be more competitive and develop skills designed around your business needs providing a skilled and competent workforce. They also help you develop the specialist skills you need to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in your sector.
Building a good relationship with a college, who can supply you with the support and tailored training your business needs as well as supply potential new employees, could be the key to future growth and prosperity.
The real business benefits to taking on apprentices as publicised by the Skills Funding Agency:
• Apprentices increase productivity and efficiency. 80% of those who employ apprentices agree that they make the workplace more productive.
34 WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE 2011
• Apprentices are loyal and hardworking and help businesses grow. 88% of employers who employ apprentices believe that Apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.
• 83% of employers who employ apprentices rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future
• 81% of consumers would prefer to use a company that employs apprentices.
Finally, what financial support is there for Apprenticeships?
As an employer you will have a commitment to staff training and development. This is often costly. However the Government is supporting an Apprenticeship programme by contributing from the public purse, with the expectation that the employer will only make a contribution of 50%. This is a massive saving of the cost of staff training which nationally businesses like B&Q, Vodafone, EDF Energy, Mercedes-Benz UK Limited, Capita, npower, Royal Mail, Thomas Cook and Superdrug are taking advantage of right now. The list is huge and not just confined to large companies. If you are interested in seeing The Roll of Honour showcasing businesses who are committed to Apprenticeships, as they recognise the business benefits they gain, you can find it at
apprenticeships.org.uk.
At Forster Community College we are committed to building relationships with employers and community organisations to offer flexible programmes to meet the needs of the Bradford business community. Our Apprenticeship programme offers opportunities for the following sectors: Hospitality and Catering, Business Admin, Childcare & Environmental and Conservation.
See our Advertisement opposite for additional information or contact us on
info@forster.ac.uk
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