5 Benefits Of Recruiting An Apprentice

The benefit of apprenticeships to junior talent is clear – earn while you learn and get real life experience without paying a penny. With the apprenticeship market set to contribute £3.4 billion to the UK economy in 2022, it seems there’s no better time to introduce an apprenticeship programme to your business. But what’s in it for businesses? Often the benefits of apprenticeships to employers are overshadowed, but they’re there if you know where to look. We’ve highlighted our top five in this post. We’d love to hear any others you come up with – tweet us @diginativeuk.

Upskill your team

Training programmes can be expensive and there’s no guarantee your team will retain what they’ve learned from a one-off session. On the flip side, bringing in a digital expert or outsourcing areas such as software development or PPC to an agency aren’t cheap either.

Whether you’re offering training to existing members of your team or bringing in new talent, apprenticeships are one of the best ways to upskill your team. Unlike other CPD options, apprenticeship programmes link new skills closely to day-to-day responsibilities, so they are more likely to be implemented. The flexibility of an apprenticeship also means you can tailor the programme to fill the skills gaps in your business.

Reduce employee turnover

There is nothing more hard-hitting than losing a member of your team. Your staff bring the skills, enthusiasm and passion that make up the heart of your business. When a member of the team leaves, it can take a toll on staff morale and productivity. 92% of employers find that hiring an apprentice leads to a more motivated team. Of these, 80% noticed a significant increase in staff retention as a direct result of hiring an apprentice.

Ultimately, when you invest time and money in individuals, this instils confidence and a sense of pride in the business they work for. This acts as a huge motivator for people to work hard and stick around.

Get ahead of the competition

In traditional industries such as finance and legal, introducing digital channels such as social media and an online support portal to your service can be enough to make you stand out from the competition.

If you work in tech, you may find that someone with no preconceptions of the industry can offer an alternative perspective on business challenges. The team at Crimson found that their apprentices were more likely to use emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning in their solutions.

Look after your finances

Hiring an apprentice can be financially beneficial. When you hire an apprentice, you receive subsidised training as well as a grant from the government of up to £1,500. The apprentice’s salary aside, many businesses end up breaking even when offsetting the cost of training with their government grant.

The National Apprenticeship Service found that 81% of customers prefer buying from companies that hire apprentices. Apprenticeships also give you the opportunity to give back to the local economy. This is particularly important if you operate in an industry with a limited talent pool and high salary expectations. Adding more quality talent to the industry will balance out supply and demand and benefit you in the long term.

Reduce stress for other team members

As your business grows, your team gets busier. Especially if you run a service-based business with tight margins, you face the dilemma of whether to hire ahead of or behind the curve. By bringing in junior talent at a lower cost, you can take time-consuming admin tasks away from existing team members, freeing them up to spend more time where they can add most value.