What could an apprentice bring to your business?
Taking on an apprentice is a great way to combat youth unemployment and help young people gain the skills needed for their future career. But how exactly can your business benefit? Increasing numbers of employers are discovering how apprentices are a low cost way of building up their workforce.
Hiring an apprentice can:
- Improve productivity. On completion, the apprentice will be trained in exactly the way of your business, meaning fewer mistakes and lower unit costs.
- Improve product quality/service. With their in-depth knowledge, apprentices will know exactly how the product/service should be delivered, consequently increasing customer satisfaction.
- Maintain a skilled workforce. No longer will you have to trawl through piles of CVs trying to find those qualified for the job. An apprentice will be trained to industry standards and understand the values of your company from the start. Skilled employees can pass on their knowledge to uphold the relevant skills.
- Increase competitiveness. Younger apprentices will have valuable knowledge to share with older staff, such as information about new technologies.
- Improve employee loyalty. Investing in your employees will reinforce their status as valuable team members, so they are more likely to stay with the company for the long term.
- Benefit from government funding and grants. The government will fund all, of part of, the apprenticeship wage depending on their age. An additional grant of GBP1,500 is available to some businesses, subject to meeting the criteria.