Businesses Urged to Recruit More Apprentices
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) is sounding the call: it’s high time for businesses to roll out the welcome mat for apprentices, as the surge in demand from school leavers is fast outpacing the available opportunities. They have recently published this article about apprenticeships.
In 2023, a staggering 430,000 students registered their interest in apprenticeship programmes through UCAS. This marks a jaw-dropping 180% surge since 2021. However, the stark reality is that the number of apprenticeship openings listed through the Department for Education’s Find an Apprenticeship service for the previous academic year was a mere 189,430.
The math speaks for itself – a large discrepancy exists between the eager applicants seeking apprenticeships and the businesses actively looking for an apprentice.
Why Apprenticeships Are a Win-Win for Businesses and Young People
For businesses, apprenticeships offer a number of benefits, including:
1. Access to a Talent Goldmine: By recruiting apprentices, businesses are able to tap into a pool of motivated, talented people who are eager to learn the ropes from an industry professionals. They are typically eager to learn and eager to prove themselves.
2. Mentorship Opportunities: Apprenticeships allow companies to mould the next generation of skilled professionals, ensuring that you always have a capable workforce to keep your business ticking.
3. Cost-Efficient Hiring: Say goodbye to exorbitant recruitment fees. Apprenticeships offer a cost-effective avenue for nurturing talent from the ground up. Next Level offer a complimentary recruitment service, and all of our apprenticeship courses are 95-100% government funded.
4. Heightened Productivity: Apprentices can bring fresh energy and ideas to your workplace, and can also help to fill skills gaps in your team. The infusion of fresh energy and ideas from apprentices often leads to increased workplace productivity.
5. Building a Better Tomorrow: Embracing apprenticeships showcases your commitment to social responsibility by helping to improve the lives of young people which can help to enhance your company’s reputation.
For young people, apprenticeships offer a number of benefits, including:
1. Earn While You Learn: Forget student loans and heavy debt burdens. Apprentices are paid a wage, so they can start earning money and gaining experience while they are still in training, which helps to give apprentices financial independence and peace of mind. The apprentice does not pay any student fees, as this cost is covered by the government and the employer.
2. Practical Experience: No more traditional classrooms, it’s hands-on from day one. Apprentices will work side by side with seasoned pros, absorbing wisdom directly from the field when in the workplace, whilst being taught by industry experts from their training provider.
3. Career Launchpad: Apprenticeships pave the way to a rewarding career. The qualification that an apprentice will earn will help them to stand out from the competition when they are looking for future jobs. In fact, apprentices are more likely to be in employment and earning a higher salary than young people who do not take an apprenticeship.
In 2018, the National Apprenticeship service said:
65% of apprentices stay working for the company that trained them when
they complete their apprenticeship.
Comparatively, in 2021/22 Next Level noted that 99% of our apprentices went on to stay in full time paid employment after completing their apprenticeship. Of those, 88% continued on with the employer who originally took them on to complete their apprenticeship which is 23% higher than the national average.
Next Level Apprenticeships
What We Do
Next Level offers a variety of apprenticeship standards which fit in nicely with lots of different industries. Our Business Admin Apprenticeships and Customer Service Apprenticeships are a great stepping stone into the world of work. Our Marketing Apprenticeships help to upskill staff and improve businesses marketing strategies. Similarly, our Leadership and Management apprenticeships help to fill skills gaps and improve productivity.
Our apprenticeships are designed to give the apprentice the skills and experience they need to succeed in their chosen career. We are currently recruiting for many roles, and are always open to speaking to businesses about roles they may have. Talk to us if you are wanting to use our apprenticeship courses as a way to upskill your existing staff.
Contact Us
If you are interested in hearing more about our apprenticeships, contact us today!