Half of businesses don’t have a tech apprenticeship scheme in place, according to a survey of employers’ views on digital apprentices.
The poll by The Tech Partnership of both tech and non-tech firms found that there are a number of barriers to establishing a programme, yet multiple benefits of having one.
Among the respondents who had taken on an apprentice, the key reasons for doing so included to fill a skills gap, to improve access to talent, and to increase productivity in a cost effective way.
In addition, employers said they believe that having an apprentice on board improves the business’s image with the local community and with customers.
Problems encountered
More than half (56 per cent) of those who employed an apprentice said they had come across problems recruiting the right people. Around half of employers found it difficult to identify high-quality training to meet their company’s needs.
Of the 49 per cent of businesses polled that don’t have an apprenticeship scheme, 33 per cent said they don’t have a suitable role, while 39 per cent said they don’t know where to start.
In addition, 39 per cent didn’t believe that current apprentice frameworks meet their business needs.
Last year, research by The Tech Partnership revealed that the UK needed 134,000 technology specialists every year in order to remain sustainable in the industry.
