Education roundtable
employees with the skills needed to excel within the business,” notes Ian Rawlings, RVP EMEA at SumTotal. “However, finding and securing suitable candidates for apprenticeships will require HR teams to shiſt their hiring strategy - looking beyond the bullet points on a CV to evaluate potential over experience.” Skillsoſt’s Prevost agrees that more employers should look beyond
traditional hiring requirements and consider “STAR” candidates - workers who are ‘Skilled Trough Alternative Routes’. “With demand for digital-native talent at a premium and the very nature of job roles evolving fast, apprenticeships can help bridge the gap - both for the skills needed within the organisation today and looking ahead to the future. Mutually beneficial, employees can perfect their core craſt and branch out to learn new skills - building a strong growth foundation for the wider organisation.” One of the many benefits of apprenticeship schemes is that
organisations can tailor the training that prospective employees receive with a view of keeping them within the business aſter they complete their scheme. “It enables companies to invest in building leaders from the ground
up, instead of relying on a candidate pool that may have previously been cost prohibitive,” Jennifer Locklear, Chief People Officer at ConnectWise, adds. “It is not just an opportunity to build and grow leaders, the
development of digital skills means that companies can learn key skills to automate manual processes, understand the soſtware available to streamline their businesses, and shiſt their focus to increased profitability. From an employee standpoint, showing them the roadmap for their job security and continued growth will change their focus from the uncertainty of the last two years to productivity and career advancement.” “While some may view this as a short-term solution to a long-term
dilemma, investing in new talent now can yield rewards for decades to come,” Locklear highlights.
Tried and tested Sadie Wilde, Leadership and Talent Development Partner at Node4, reflects on how the organisation has benefited from investing in young talent. “As a business, we have also benefited from a talent pool of enthusiastic, fresh-faced individuals who have become valuable members of the Node4 team. Our colleagues across the business also love getting involved in supporting the development of our new apprentices on our emerging talent programmes. “We also utilise apprenticeships to develop our people to achieve their career goals and to plug any skills gaps that we potentially have
in the business. We’re passionate about supporting our colleagues to enhance their career prospects through gaining qualifications and an apprenticeship is a great way to build their skills and knowledge.” “To support our apprentices across the business, the Node4
Academy provides professional development opportunities from time management and prioritisation techniques, to presentation and public speaking skills, which will assist with their end point assessment presentation.” Cubic Corporation also supports young people at all ages and
stages, from job shadowing in year 11 through to graduate roles for university leavers. “Te apprenticeship scheme allows me to unleash my skills and use them in day-to-day life as a field service engineer,” Kuljit Singh, current Cubic Transportation Systems’ Field Services Apprentice, explains. “I have also been lucky enough to be mentored by top engineers in the field.” Quality Engineer Apprentice, Daniel Ralph, adds: “Tis kind of
environment is a perfect place for not just me but other apprentices and interns to begin their career. It provides good opportunities for introducing new employees to the engineering environment. Apprentices can also use these opportunities and skills learned to innovate new projects and ideas for the company.”
Invest to innovate As the ‘Great Resignation’ rages on, organisations need to push ahead with their reskilling efforts to help defend against the ongoing talent crisis. Rawlings suggests: “Critically assessing the future demand for skills and understanding the patterns and obstacles that may affect workforce migration to new skill sets will enable HR teams to best utilise and progress their workforce, from apprentices to senior management, ensuring they stay one step ahead as the war for talent intensifies.” Investing in young people also helps drive innovation within the
enterprise. “Each successive generation experiences life through a completely different lens - coloured by technology, current affairs, popular culture and more,” Doherty concludes. “Bringing young people into a team expands diversity of thought.
I’ve seen first-hand how younger colleagues have generated ideas and approaches, which have helped us change up the way that we do things for the better. And, as a business, the tailored learning that we give our apprentices means that we have a ready supply of people with exactly the skills and experience we need to meet the needs of our business for the future. “Investing in young people should be a strategic priority for all
businesses.”
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