Have you considered how an apprenticeship could benefit your small business? As it’s National Apprenticeship Week, there’s no better time to think about how hiring an apprentice could help your business grow – while helping a young worker gain experience and learn more about the industry.
A report taken from the Department for Education (DfE) Apprenticeship Core Brief in November 2016 explained how an apprenticeship could benefit small business employers, with data to prove it.
One of the main advantages of employing an apprentice in your small business is to boost productivity: “apprenticeships boost productivity to businesses on average by £214 per week”. Apprentices are often very eager to learn and enthusiastic to push your business further; a trait which can wear off more quickly for an experienced employee.
By hiring an apprentice you’re improving your business’ pool of talent. The 2016 November report announced that “Traineeships offer small businesses an opportunity to help build a pool of high-quality future recruits for their sector”.
The report went on to express how “Employers say qualified apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications”.
Another benefit of hiring an apprentices is that the quality of your end product or service will improve. The November report supports this, with “75% of employers [reporting] that apprenticeships improved the quality of their product or service”.
And if that isn’t enough to persuade you to set up an apprenticeship scheme in your business, “87% of employers said they were happy with their apprenticeship programme”.
For those with businesses in England, you may even eligible for a grant or funding to help you employ an apprentice – so you have every reason to look for an apprentice today!
National Apprenticeship Week 2017
6th – 10th March marks annual National Apprentice Week, an event co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service which marks the success of businesses who hire apprentices.
National Apprenticeship Week celebrates the positive effect hiring an apprentice can have on businesses, and how they help both individuals and the economy. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the benefits of creating an apprenticeship scheme in your business.
The theme for the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week is ‘Ladder of Opportunity’.
If you want to get involved in National Apprenticeship Week 2017, you can find more information on the event here or follow the #NAW2017 hashtag on Twitter. You can find out information on how to hire an apprentice here.
Does your small business hire apprentices? Drop us a comment below telling us why you think it’s a good or bad initiative.