The British Franchise Association explores the perks that apprentices provide for businesses
While most young people consider university as the next step towards finding the right career path, this is not the case for everybody. Apprenticeships remain a popular choice for the younger generation who are keen to combine studying with work, along with earning a bit of money, or those that see it as a great well to gain skills that can set them up for life.
However, 2017 saw the introduction of the apprenticeship levy scheme, a tax on bigger employers to help raise money to train people at work. This has appeared to have discouraged businesses from taking on apprentices, as 2017 saw a drop of 30% in apprenticeship starts, which is detrimental to helping young people get into the workplace.
As an employer, If you are thinking of taking on an apprentice or are undecided, then take at look at these three reasons why it will boost your business.
- Tailored for the role
An increasing amount of small businesses are realising the potential an apprentice can have for the business. Their skills can be moulded for the role and the needs of the company, investing in someone who has the business’s interests at heart from day one. Gloria Adeybo, a franchisee for virtual assistant business Smart PA, has found that her apprentice has not only completed a number of qualifications, but is dedicated to the business. She explains: “I have a resourceful young man with useful experience gathered as a Modern Apprentice (MA) working with my SmartPA business; now he has earned National qualifications, completed his SmartPA training and is keen to continue working with/for SmartPA. This has helped realise our investment in the future of upcoming generation and in the local community.”
2. Training the next generation
Simon Chorlton, Franchisee for courier business Speedy Freight in Hull and Doncaster, took on apprentice Jay and has found the experience to be extremely positive: “Having Jay as our apprentice for the past year has undoubtedly had a positive impact on my business, and he has very quickly become a really important member of the team. He has shown a real desire to learn, progress and gain experience and is well liked by both customers and suppliers due to his professional and positive attitude. Apprenticeships are important as it gives young people an opportunity to gain experience in a proper work setting and grow into the next generation of experienced colleagues and gives businesses a head start in finding their next potential star employee.” This has ultimately led Jay to learn about the industry, develop key skills such as IT, time management and communication as well as build positive relationships.
3. Looking to the future
It’s important to inject young blood into any business. While experience is necessary for a business to operate, it’s essential to pass that knowledge on and pave way for innovation and energy to drive the vision forward.
There are now apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes and industries, as it is becoming clear the added value that apprentices bring to the table. It’s important that businesses support the growth of apprenticeships and protect a valued programme that supports and develops young people.
