Why is hiring an apprentice good for my business?
The Learning & Skills Council recently surveyed businesses throughout the UK on benefits of hiring an apprentice (Populus, January 2009). Of those surveyed:
· 81% said that employing apprentices gained higher overall productivity for their company
· 66% said that their Apprenticeship programme made them more competitive in their industry
· 92% said that their Apprenticeship programme made better motivated staff and increased job satisfaction.
· 74% said that apprentices tended to be more loyal, remaining at their company longer than non-apprentices
How can taking on an apprentice help me through the recession?
Even in difficult times like this, Apprenticeships are a vital way of improving the skills of staff and generating a committed and valuable workforce. When times are tough, competition for contracts is even tougher. That is when a well trained, extra pair of hands could make a real difference to your chances of success.
Apprentices can also help you ready your businesses for when the economy comes out of recession. By offering a flexible resource that can help your business grow, apprenticeships can also give you a competitive advantage to exploit new business growth opportunities.
Why would I want to take on an apprentice?
It is good business.
Skills shortages are still one of biggest threats to UK business. Apprenticeships can help businesses across all industries by offering a route to harness fresh talent. If you have trained staff with the right skills for the job they can do a wider range of tasks and take on new responsibilities – this can help to reduce skills shortages, minimise staff turnover and workplace accidents, and increase productivity.
Taking on an apprentice is cost effective because your people can learn while they’re on the job and the government contributes to the costs of learning.
Does my business receive any monetary incentives to take on an apprentice?
Employers do not receive a direct monetary incentive to take on apprentices. However, the off-job training costs are subsidised in full, or in part, by the National Apprenticeship Service.