Apprenticeships are a great way for people to enter the working world, learn a trade and support themselves while doing so. For an employer, too, hiring an apprentice can be like sculpting your own perfect employee – one who can learn to do things in a way that suits your business.
At Apprenticeship Central, we have the resources to help you find your next apprentice – someone who is suitable for your role and eager to get started on their chosen career path. Our simple registration process puts you immediately in a position to browse the employee talent waiting in your area.
Employing an apprentice is not just for larger organisations, either. In fact, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are in a great position to find an apprentice in their industry. Then, through mentoring and teaching them on the job, companies can find a new generation of workers are on the books and ready to take their business to the next level.
Hiring an apprentice can benefit SMEs as much as they can larger corporations. In fact, some of the ways they help are ideal for fledgling businesses.
Reduce staff turnover
A smaller business may struggle to find new staff when an employee leaves. Not having the manpower and the time to conduct an extensive recruitment drive can mean they often end up with sub-par employees, or individuals who don’t fit their requirements and soon leave.
This circle of recruitment is more time consuming when you constantly have to bring new staff up to speed. According to a survey by Populus, conducted for the UK’s National Apprenticeship Week, 80 per cent of surveyed employers believe apprenticeships reduce staff turnover.
Smallbusiness.co.uk suggests the reason for this is employee loyalty, with apprentices feeling more secure in their duties and making the most of the career opportunity.
Find the right skills
For many businesses, it is proving difficult to find and recruit people with the skills required to fulfil a certain role. Instead of finding lesser employees – and perhaps again being stuck on the employee turnover carousel – hiring an apprentice is a great solution.
After all, who is better to learn from than the people who have worked hard to ensure a small business’s growth. With mentoring and training, an apprentice can quickly become a strong member of the team and an essential spoke in the business wheel.
