If you are looking into taking an apprenticeship you will most likely come across some of the good reasons why it is a career step worth considering. For example, the prospect of earning some money while you train for a career is certainly a plus, while the chance to earn a qualification alongside some genuine on-the-job training is another. However, it is sometimes interesting to take a look at things from a different perspective. With the increasing focus on apprenticeships in the news and among politicians, have you ever wondered how businesses are attracted to offer apprenticeships, and more importantly, what’s in it for them?
Taking a look at apprenticeships from the other, non-student, side of the fence can be interesting and informative – especially if you are considering an apprentice ship yourself. You may wonder if you will be valued, and just how your apprenticeship is seen by businesses? In order to examine this, we decided to take a look at an example of how businesses are encouraged to take on apprentices.
Offering just one insight was a leaflet from Plymouth City Council called, ‘Why Take On An Apprentice?’ Far from being the only example of such a leaflet in the UK, this randomly selected leaflet laid out the reasons why many businesses felt apprentices were an asset, as it explained, “Apprenticeships are an extremely cost effective, efficient and practical way of training your workforce so they have the relevant skills and qualifications to do the job.”
This makes perfect sense – having a dedicated, trained workforce is ideal for any business, as the leaflet elaborates, “Businesses can mould employees from an early age, helping to shape their approach to work,” adding, “Not only can you equip them with the basic skills needed, you get the chance to create the ideal employee for your company.”
So it seems businesses see an apprenticeship as a chance not just to teach you how to do a job, but also how to do it the way they prefer.
The leaflet adds that not only do apprenticeships make sense when it comes to training a workforce, but “training apprentices is more cost effective and also offers an excellent return on investment.”
So, the business side is clearly accounted for, with statistics showing that 80% of businesses agree that apprentices make their workplace “more productive,” while 92% of employers with apprentices agreed that “apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.”
In fact, the leaflet says, 3/4 of businesses believe that apprenticeships offer a better quality job applicant, meaning that employers seem to have lots to gain from offering apprenticeships. Plus, with statistics saying that 82% of businesses are relying on their apprenticeship programmes to provide the workers they need for the future, an apprenticeship seems to be a good choice for both employers and those seeking work in the future.
While this leaflet is just one example of how apprenticeships are promoted to businesses, it clearly shows that apprenticeships are valued and integral to many businesses.
Of course, your concerns with choosing an apprenticeship are different from those of the place where you do your course, but it is nice to know that you should be valued while you train.
Sometimes it is worth taking a different perspective on things, and apprenticeships are no exception!
