It is anticipated that 1/5th of UK employers expect their 2013 growth plans to be curtailed by a shortage of skills with 38% of UK companies struggling to recruit the right talent, citing lack of technical skills as the main problem.

Could apprentices be the components of your success?

A recent survey of over 500 UK companies found that employers in England rate qualified apprentices as 15% more employable than those with other qualifications.

During the 2011/2012 academic year some 3,700 people started Higher Apprenticeships, which represented a 68% rise on the previous year, with government funding offered to many of these placements.

Did you know there are 3 levels of Apprenticeship available?

  • 1 – Intermediate Level Apprenticeships
  • 2 – Advanced Level Apprenticeships
  • 3 – Higher Apprenticeships

 …..and there’s more good news…. the Government is consulting on reforms which will give employers freedom to choose the training that is most relevant to the needs of the Apprentices and their business.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Employers are the best people to judge what training is worth investing in. These reforms will mean just that. “It gives them the power to train their staff to make sure their skills are relevant to the company, while choosing from the wide range of courses available.”

If you have 1,000 employees or les, meet the eligibility criteria, you could take advantage of a £1,500 Apprentice Grant for Employers (AGE) available until 31st December 2014.  

The National Apprentice Service provides AGE 16 to 24 to eligible employers who may be paid up to 10 grants during the lifetime of this initiative (with an enhanced London AGE 16 to 24 grant of £3,000 available to employers within London postcodes).

Not sure where to start?  It’s easy let us help you by:-

  •  Assisting with your advertising; 
  • Assessing your Apprentices to ensure they have the skills to do the job and to succeed in the educational programme, for example: Information technology, numeracy, verbal reasoning, spatial and practical tests and communication.
  • Making the right recruitment decision through collection of evidence from:  individual and group assessments, role play activities and psychometric testing. 

We can also help you to design an in-house mentoring scheme supportive of the needs of your new Apprentices, providing a ‘safe go-to place’, positively influencing their learning and maximising their performance to ensure they flourish and grow within your business.