Feature
Growing Your Business
Nurturing talent to aid expansion
With recent figures highlighting a nationwide deficit in high-quality apprenticeships, engineering solutions firm has made investing in future generations a priority with the launch of the UK’s first pre-apprenticeship scheme for 14 to 16-year-olds. Alan Lusty, CEO of adi Group, explains why other businesses should follow suit by setting up schemes to make the most of this business growth opportunity.
It’s no secret that many industries are facing a skills shortage. A recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed 69 per cent of UK businesses said they weren’t confident there will be enough people with the skills required to fill their workforce in the future. Addressing the problem with a
well-planned apprenticeship programme is an ideal option, as it allows businesses to train employees to fit specific requirements and make them invaluable to the their growth. Better yet, figures from The
National Apprenticeship Service show 88 per cent of apprentice employers believe they lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce, and 81 per cent said they make their businesses more productive. The adi Group pre-apprenticeship
scheme goes a step further by targeting those still at secondary school. It’s vital for businesses to see apprentices as an investment, not only for the future of the company but also for the industry as a whole. The need to teach specialised skills
to ensure there are no gaps in the future workforce is paramount, and adi Group aims to do that by introducing young people to engineering at an early age, giving them a head start towards a hands-on career when they embark on a full- time apprenticeship course at 16. adi Group recognises the growing
need for this approach across all industries throughout the UK. As such, the pre-apprenticeship model is available, free of charge, for any employer or school that wishes to replicate an existing scheme that has worked well. Implementation is straightforward and any sector, whether in industry or professional services, can benefit – thus encouraging younger generations to try something new and engage in the workplace while still at school. Not only have we found that our pre-
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apprentices tend to be eager to learn, flexible and full of fresh ideas, they also encourage our long-term staff to pass on valuable skills and a sense of pride. Ultimately businesses have the opportunity to breed a strong sense of company loyalty while simultaneously ensuring the right standards are being taught and instilled from a young age. The pre-apprenticeship scheme,
which launched on 15 September 2016, involves 12 secondary school students attending adi’s workshop for half a day each week. Through a structured and accredited course, the apprentices learn the practical, hands-on skills needed to carve a career in either mechanical or electrical engineering. The two-year course, with a
second cohort of 12 students joining in 2017, runs for 32 weeks for the first year followed by a further 26 weeks the following year. This occupies ten per cent of the students’ overall curriculum time as they continue to work on their GCSEs alongside the course. It’s the ideal stepping-stone to a full-time apprenticeship. The end goal for adi is to not only
invest in the UK engineers of tomorrow but to inspire others as well. The vision is that the model and approach can reach out to thousands of children via a network of like- minded businesses interacting with their local schools. Recent figures from the Industry
Apprentice Council highlighting the lack of apprenticeships have raised an important issue and one that both employers and educators need to tackle head on in order to bring about positive change. We believe our pre-apprenticeship scheme is the ideal comprehensive model that other schools and employers can and should replicate. The sooner the skills gap can be addressed and overcome, the better the economic prospects will be for our country.
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