So you’re thinking about hiring an apprentice, but haven’t quite made your mind up yet. Take a look at these 5 reasons explaining why hiring an apprentice is a great move for your business.
1) Apprentices plug holes in your skills gaps - The youthful age of most apprentices often works to their advantage when it comes to working for a firm. They are adaptable, flexible, and the apprenticeship programmes they are on are designed to fit the model of your business, meaning they will deliver results suited to your needs.
2) Apprentices motivate your workforce - Most apprentices are young, eager, and excited to start working in the real world. For these reasons alone, they are often a positive force in the office, offering youthful enthusiasm guaranteed to put smiles on the faces of other employees.
3) Apprentices are cost-effective - It’s a commonly known fact that skilled staff are expensive, but training up the future leaders of your company through apprenticeships means lower overall training and recruitment costs.
4) Apprentices demonstrate their worth through statistics - Research conduced in February 2008 by Populus on behalf of the LSC to launch the first National Apprenticeship Week revealed: 77% of employers believed Apprenticeships make them more competitive, 76% said that Apprenticeships provide higher overall productivity, and 80% felt that Apprenticeships reduce staff turnover.
5) Apprentices let you give back to the community - Hiring an apprentice and teaching them skills from the very beginning of their careers can be hugely rewarding for both a company and the apprentice themselves. The economic crisis, coupled with rising university fees, means that there are few opportunities out there these days for young people. Supporting them at a relatively low-cost for your company means supporting the future of British business.