Apprenticeships: A Guide for Employers

A Guide for Employers

A Guide for EmployersHow Apprenticeships can deliver for your business

Great productivity, Great staff retention and Great rewards

Contents3 Introduction

4 Benefits to Employers

Return of Investment Calculator

6 What is an Apprenticeship?

7 Your Valued Contribution

8 Developing your Apprentices

9 What Employers Say

12 Apprenticeship Sectors

14 Who to Contact

How Apprenticeships can deliver for your business2

IntroductionAs businesses face the challenge of an increasingly competitive marketplace, ensuring your employees are effectively skilled and qualified is more important than ever.

Developing apprentices to meet the current and long term needs of your business is the ideal way to maximise your business return.

Over 100,000 employers offer apprentice places because they understand the benefits that apprentices bring to their business – increased productivity, improved competitiveness and a committed and competent work-force.

If you are thinking about taking on an apprentice you’d be in good company. As you’d be joining more than 100,000 UK employers who support the Apprenticeship programme.


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Benefits to EmployersThere are many benefits to your company in choosing an Apprenticeship.

Your employees will be equipped with skills and knowledge that is directly •relevant to your organisation, helping to improve your productivity.

You can keep a competitive advantage by ensuring your employees have •the right training and expertise to effectively carry out their duties.

Trained employees feel more valued and motivated, and more likely to •improve your workforce retention.

Apprentices can bring new ideas and innovation to your business. •

Apprentice training is flexible, primarily delivered in the workplace, and •offers minimal disruption to your business.

You will reduce training and recruitment costs. •

Fill your skill gaps. •

Apprenticeship programmes offer nationally recognised qualifications.•

More than 100,000 employers currently use Apprenticeships to attract new talent, re-skill existing staff and tackle skill shortages. Apprenticeships are available to businesses of all sizes and from all sectors in England.


Return of Investment Calculator

The Return on Investment (ROI) calculator has been designed to help you understand the returns you can possibly gain by investing in Apprenticeships.

Drawing on research from the Warwick Institute for Employment Research (‘The Net Benefits to Employer Investment in Apprenticeship Training’ – November 2008) into the costs and benefits of Apprenticeships, the ROI calculator has been made available to help employers make the right decisions.

The ROI calculator estimates the average costs of employing and training an apprentice against the gains that come when their ‘additional productivity’ impacts on the business.

The link to ROI Calculator is: www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Employers/ROI-Tool.aspx

Businesses that offer Apprenticeship programmes view them as beneficial to their long-term development. Most companies (82%) employed an apprentice to build the skills capacity within their business.

Source: 2011 British Chambers of

Commerce research

Four out of five employers say Apprenticeships are likely to play a bigger part in their future recruitment policy and three quarters of employers say Apprenticeships have reduced their recruitment costs.

Source: 2012 Populus research


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What is an Apprenticeship?Apprenticeships are work-based programmes that enable adults and young people to gain nationally recognised qualifications through a mixture of on and off-the-job training. Apprenticeships ensure that your workforce has the practical skills and qualifications your organisation needs now and in the future.

Businesses can use Apprenticeships to train both new and existing employees.

There are over 250 different types of Apprenticeship frameworks covering 1,200 job roles, ranging from accountancy to textiles, engineering to veterinary nursing, business administration to construction.

Depending on the sector and job role an Apprenticeship can take anything between one and four years to complete.

They are available at 3 levels:Intermediate: equivalent •to 5 A* - C GCSE’s;Advanced: equivalent •to 2 A Levels;Higher: equivalent to a •foundation degree and level 4 qualifications.

Apprenticeships are designed by Sector Skills Councils and business representatives to develop the course content, ensuring that the qualifications and training offered are the most relevant to their respective industries.


Your Valued ContributionEmployers are responsible for the wages and other employment costs of apprentices who are their employees.

As an employer supporting an apprentice, your input is valued in ensuring successful completion of the Apprenticeship.

It would be your responsibility to:Support your apprentice throughout the duration of their programme. •

Provide opportunities for your apprentice to apply new skills in the •workplace by supporting them to achieve the qualification.

Support your apprentice by encouraging them to complete assignments. •

Work in partnership with your Training Provider and participate in •reviewing your apprentice's progress.

Provide opportunities for Assessors to undertake work-based •assessments.

Many Apprenticeships are delivered entirely in the workplace, but •flexibility to attend day release may be required for some programmes.


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Developing your ApprenticesMore and more employers are supporting their apprentices to carry on learning and achieving higher level qualifications.

By progressing your apprentices to Level 4 and beyond will enable you to keep ahead of the competition with higher levels of skills and more up to date knowledge. You will be better placed to identify your future managers/supervisors.

Higher Apprenticeships are an excellent way of developing and motivating your workforce to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of your organisation


What Employers SayLauren TaylorActing Practice ManagerIDH Dental Centre, Blackburn

“IDH Dental Centre fully supports Apprenticeships and work-based learning - our long-term commitment to on-the-job development has enabled us to attract the skilled and dedicated employees that are vital to any successful organisation. By investing in people and developing their skills you can demonstrate and benefit from the value of training.”

Pietro Capitelli has been offered one of just six places on the Combined Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Therapy at Liverpool University after completing his Apprenticeship with Training 2000.

Barney Slack Managing Director CBS Electrical Contractors Ltd

The Building Services sector has always trained its staff via Apprenticeships so it was no surprise to Barney Slack, MD of CBS Electrical Contractors, that Government and companies within all sectors are waking up to the benefits of training in this way.

“I served my Apprenticeship with JTL and I now run a very successful electrical contracting business. Training is key to our business.”

Nathan Collin is just one of our apprentices who we have supported in studying for higher level qualifications (HND).


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What Employers SayCraig StevensFinance Operations ManagerHill Dickinson LLP

“The Higher Apprenticeship programme (AAT) provides the opportunity for accounting minded people to further their knowledge, gain a formal qualification and enhance their skills base.”

“Hill Dickinson LLP appreciates the learning and development such Higher Apprenticeship programmes provide to employers.”

Belinda, an apprentice at Hill Dickinson, has seen her financial and business understanding considerably grow.

Janice HoughtonGraduate Development Officer Cheshire West and Chester Council

Janice said “Apprenticeships are a cost effective way to train new and existing staff and, in conjunction with Total People, are designed to help employees reach a high level of competency and performance.”

Sam, an apprentice at the Council, is benefiting from the Higher Level qualifications delivered in the workplace and has completed AAT Level 2 and 3 qualifications and is nearing completion of her Higher Apprenticeship.


What Employers SayPaul SkinnerManaging Director, Intatec Ltd

Paul started his career as an apprentice 31 years ago and has devoted his working life to the

bathroom manufacturing industry. Paul says “Intatec fully appreciate what value Apprentices can bring to the organisation.”

George Knowles works in the technical department at Intatec and is aiming to become a fully qualified mechanical engineer.

Paul said “George’s contribution to the business has saved time and ultimately money as we now have the traceability that was not there before. The business is more organised now thanks to George”.

Annette BarnesDirectorAnnette Barnes Consultancy Ltd

“We encourage all our staff to continuously improve and develop their knowledge and skills. I personally feel that Apprenticeships are a very good opportunity for both employers and learners.

The Apprenticeship programme is now a key part of our strategy for recruiting future talent into our business. In a time of such high youth unemployment it is great to be able to give real opportunities to young people and we are consistently finding that our apprentices are bringing a lot of energy, commitment and ideas to the business areas they work in.”


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Apprenticeship Sectors

AccountingAgriculture, Horticulture & Animal CareBarberingBeauty TherapyBusiness AdministrationCatering & Hospitality

Children’s Care Learning & DevelopmentCleaning

Construction

Contact CentreCreative & MediaCustomer Service Dental NursingEngineeringElectrical InstallationEnvironmentFinanceFloristryFurniture IndustryGlass IndustryHairdressing Health & Social CareIT Professional

Apprenticeships are available in just some of the following areas:


IT User

Management ManufacturingMotor Vehicle

Nail Services PlayworkRetail Sport & Leisure

Teaching AssistantTeam Leading

Travel Sports & LeisureDistribution & Warehousing


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Find Out How Apprenticeships Can Deliver A Real Difference For Your BusinessYour first step is to discuss your training requirements with an Apprenticeship advisor.

Contact the National Apprenticship Service on:

08000 150 600

or visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk and register online

or contact


Notes


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Information correct at time of print - Aug 2012

Useful Addresseswww.apprenticeships.org.uk

www.direct.gov.uk

www.skilsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk

www.lsis.org.uk

Documents

Apprenticeships: A Guide for Employers