Apprenticeships are an exciting opportunity for you to cultivate professional growth and address skills gaps in your organisation.
If you’re wondering whether they’re the right investment opportunity, take a look at these common employer concerns and their solutions below.
“I’m looking for someone with more experience.”
There is no upper age limit for apprenticeships. Anyone aged 16+ can complete an apprenticeship, from entry-level to degree level. There are certainly many school leavers looking for apprenticeship opportunities, but they aren’t the only ones who want the chance to ‘earn and learn’.
An apprenticeship can be a great opportunity for anyone, including your existing staff, but it’s important to remember that they’re a great learning opportunity for new talent too. They’ll be learning industry skills and gaining hands-on experience as part of the apprenticeship, they might just need a little more time and support to settle into a professional environment.
Younger apprentices still have amazing potential and can bring diversity and fresh ideas into your organisation.
“I can’t afford to pay for an apprentice.”
Many apprenticeship programmes are paid for using Apprenticeship Levy funding. If your organisation pays the Apprenticeship Levy, you should already have funding available to cover the course costs.
However, if your organisation does not pay the Apprenticeship Levy, there are funding and grants available to support you, including the transfer of unused funds from other Levy paying employers.
You can explore the full apprenticeship funding rules on the Government website.
“I’m concerned about the amount of time the apprentice will spend away from work during off-the-job training.”
Learning is a key moment in their apprenticeship. It supports the development of their industry knowledge, skills, and behaviours, which will benefit them and your organisation.
Apprentices are required to spend at least 20% of their time completing off-the-job training. For a full-time apprentice, this comes to around 1 day a week. However, this can take many forms and can be completed independently or with their training provider.
Many training providers ensure any recall days for training have the least disruption for the apprentice. You can choose the training provider you work with, and you can work with them to deliver training in a suitable way.
“I want to keep the skills in my organisation. What if they don’t stay with us after the apprenticeship?”
It isn’t guaranteed that every apprentice will stay in your organisation after the programme. The design and quality of your apprenticeship programme, support and growth opportunities will be key to boosting your retention.
Any apprentice, no matter their age or experience, will want to feel that they’ve learned valuable skills, that they have room to grow and make a difference in your organisation, and that they have been supported through their study programme.
They’ll complete work-related assignments and bring a wealth of insight back to you during their course. If there is a clear place for them after the course and they choose to stay, that’s great! They may choose to move on, but remember that this is a risk you take with any employee you recruit.
“My organisation’s workplace is high risk – we’re concerned about bringing inexperienced young people into this environment.”
For industries that are likely to have high-risk environments like construction, it’s valid to consider how you’ll integrate young talent who are inexperienced into the workplace.
While they are an apprentice, they are also an employee like any other. You should refer to your risk assessment to ensure it is suitable for all staff and revise any regulations you have to comply with. There may be some activities, such as operating machinery, that younger apprentices can’t do or need training or qualifications to do, and any safety or control measures should already be in place.
It’s very likely that any apprentice, no matter their age, will complete job shadowing as part of their training, especially at the beginning of the programme. You’ll be able to prepare for the work they’ll get involved with, consider the risks, and ensure your staff are trained to train and supervise apprentices in these tasks.
Read more about apprenticeships
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