Apprenticeships Training Programs
help businesses across all sectors by offering a
route to harness fresh new talent. UK businesses consider skills
shortages and recruitment difficulties a bigger threat to
performance than soaring oil prices and declining consumer
spending, and more than a quarter of these rate apprenticeship
vocational training higher than any other qualification.
Apprenticeships ensure that your workforce has
the practical skills and qualifications your organisation needs now
and in the future. The mixture of on and off job learning ensures
they learn the skills that work best for your business. Over
130,000 companies offer apprentice places because they understand
the benefits that apprentices bring to their business - increased
productivity, improved competitiveness and a committed and
competent work-force.
Improve your bottom line
Apprenticeships deliver real returns to your bottom line. In a
recent survey*, the majority of employers said that Apprenticeships
helped them to improve productivity and to be more competitive.
They also said that training apprentices is more cost effective
than hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and
recruitment costs.
* Apprenticeships, survey conducted by Populus on behalf of
the Learning and Skills Council, February 2009.
Fill your skills gaps
Apprenticeships deliver skills designed around your business
needs. They also help you develop the specialist skills you need to
keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in your
sector. Employers in the Populus survey said they relied on their
Apprenticeship programmes to provide the skilled workers they need
for the future.
Motivate your workforce
Apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to
the company that invested in them. Remember, 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.
Earlier research conducted in February 2008 by Populus on
behalf of the LSC to launch the first National Apprenticeship Week
revealed:
- 77% of employers believe apprenticeships make them more
competitive;
- 76% say that apprenticeships provide higher overall
productivity;
- 80% feel that apprenticeships reduce staff turnover;
- 83% of employers rely on their apprenticeships programme to
provide the skilled workers that they need for the future;
- Two-thirds of respondents believe that their apprenticeship
programme helps them fill vacancies more quickly, whilst
- 88% believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and
satisfied workforce;
- 59% report that training apprentices is more cost-effective
than hiring skilled staff, with 59% believing that apprenticeships
lead to lower overall training costs and
- 53% feeling that they reduce recruitment costs;
- In terms of the return on investment linked to apprenticeships,
41% say that their apprentices make a valuable contribution to the
business during their training period, while a further third (33%)
report that apprentices add value within their first few weeks (or
even from Day One);
- 57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to
management positions within the company;
- Over three-quarters of respondents expect apprenticeships to
play a bigger part in their recruitment policy in the future.
To see what Apprenticeship Training Programs offer go to our Apprenticeship Training
Programmes page.
Department for Business,
Innovation & Skills: Specification for Apprenticeship
Standards
Content of this page thanks to www.apprenticeships.org.uk