Are apprenticeships the way to close skills gap in the UK? Are you finding it difficult to find the perfect person for your job role? Maybe the skills needed are too niche, too technical, or you may be sceptical about hiring people with less experience for that position. With the right guidance and teaching, a person with less experience might have exactly what it takes for the job. Considering an apprentice that can grow within that job role might be the way to go. There are several benefits when considering an apprentice. Whilst it may require more resources and time from your company, the outcome could outweigh alternative solutions for closing that skills gap. What is an apprenticeship? Apprenticeship is a way to learn by doing. It’s a type of paid-for training program that provides hands-on learning and practical knowledge from within an active company. It gives apprentices access to professionals in the industry, opening their network and putting them on the radar within the industry. Apprenticeships usually involve a formal agreement between the employer and the apprentice, where the apprentice will receive mentorship alongside following an approved study programme. This means they’ll gain a nationally recognised qualification at the end of their apprenticeship. Apprenticeships can last anywhere from a few months to a few years, depending on the programme and the apprentice’s progress. For an employer, the benefits of employing an apprentice include:
- A cost-effective way to develop new skills and knowledge within the workplace
- An opportunity to recruit and retain talented young people
- An opportunity to adapt your learnings toward your business’ model
- Increased productivity and healthy competitiveness in the workplace
Make sure your company has what it takes to employ an apprentice:
- The right resources in-house: Make sure you have the right people, assets and tools in place to provide that knowledge to fresh minds. If you don’t have the knowledge or tools in place, you may not be able to provide the right training and close that skills gap.
- The necessary allocated time for learning: Make sure that whoever in your company is responsible for your apprentice has the necessary time allocated to support them. Someone under pressure to execute their own tasks whilst also trying to teach someone could become unproductive and inefficient in the long term and could have a negative effect on morale.
- A well-defined need for skills: Make sure you have defined the skills you need within your company and justify the apprenticeship program.
- Set your KPIs or success measurements: What does a successful apprentice would look like to you and your company? Define what you want to achieve at the end of their apprenticeship program, how it will or would have benefited your company. Keeping these metrics in place from the start will help you identify pain points to address or successes that will shape the future role.
Is apprenticeship the future of closing the skills gap? It’s clear that apprenticeships are a good solution to close skills gaps in the UK. But not all companies can afford or have the right assets to provide the necessary training. Apprenticeship programmes are highly regarded because they allow a level of flexibility and accuracy for the company that provides the training. The apprentices are learning the tools, skills and knowledge that the company needs. Shaping the apprentices for that specific future role is also a very good opportunity to grow faster within that industry. If you find your company in need to close skills gap and you’re not sure how or where to start with apprenticeship programmes, you can let us know by filling this LISP Employer’s Survey and we’ll get in touch to help your business. Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2023 Norfolk County Council reported the latest provisional data set released by ESFA for the number of Apprenticeship starts across Norfolk for Q1 of 2022/23 (Aug, Sept, Oct 2022). Here are the headlines:
- The National apprenticeship starts decline is at 6.10%. However, Norfolk is showing less decline at 5.85%, which is unsurprising given the huge growth surge last year against the backdrop of the availability of the Government incentives.
- In Norfolk, Great Yarmouth and North Norfolk were the only districts to see growth in Q1 – which is brilliant news, as both of these districts have historically seen lower numbers of new starts out of Norfolk districts.
Katy Dorman, Apprenticeship Strategy Manager at Norfolk County Council, scratches the surface of the data, which brings positive stats in regards of Norfolk’s effort with Apprenticeship programs:
- Starts at Level 2 have seen72% growth, compared to a national decline of -18.43%.
- Starts for those aged 16-18 has seen47% growth, compared to a national decline of -4.10%.
- Starts for ‘newly recruited’ apprentices saw 16% growth, those in employed less than 3 months who started an apprenticeship.
- By month, Norfolk saw a little growth in October 2021 of 1.66%
- By sector, the highest real number of apprenticeship starts was in
- Health, Public Services & Care with a total of 486
- The highest growth based on Q1 in 2021/22 was Construction with 46 more starts during Q1 2022/23
- For the first time in several years, LOCAL apprenticeship providers hold the top 6 positions on the leader board for # of starts in Norfolk!! ???? Well done to City College Norwich, College West Anglia, University of East Anglia, East Coast College, West Suffolk College and Poultec
Our mission with LSIP in Norfolk and Suffolk is to understand the skills gap that industry face on a regular basis, with the aim to provide the right support and workforce in the long-term. This growth in Q1 23 reported by Norfolk County Council need to keep progressing in the right direction, which is what LSIP aims to do with the help of business owners sharing their experience of skills gap impact within their company. Become part of the skills gap solution by sharing your professional experience with us: LSIP Employer Form
