Why your business should take on apprentices

It’s no secret that the UK construction industry is experiencing a serious skills shortage following the recession, which is leaving many companies short staffed and unable to fulfill contracts. Employers are looking abroad for the required skills, but by hiring an apprentice, you could save money and build a more effective and efficient workforce.

As a result, 1 in 5 employers are now taking on apprentices to get through the current economic climate and skills shortage, with 83% of employers taking on apprentices to ensure they will have the skills they require in the future.

The Benefits to your Business

Apprentices can be viewed quite negatively by employers and colleagues because of their lack of experience. The cost associated with hiring and insuring an unskilled apprentice in a hazardous workplace, plus the additional time taken to train and prepare them for the workplace, is often misunderstood, which results in many employers seeing apprentices as a drain on their limited resources. But this is not necessarily the case.

Training costs for new apprentices are usually fully funded by the government, so an employer will only have to pay national minimum wage, which is much lower for an apprentice than an adult employee. Even with the planned increase due to take place in October 2015, the national minimum wage for an apprentice will only be £3.30 per hour, whereas for an adult, it will be more than twice that, at £6.70 per hour.

Apprentices bring a great deal of enthusiasm to a stale team, and they aren’t just working for the pay, they are actively looking to forge a career for themselves so are keen to perform well and impress. As a result, 88% of employers have stated that employing apprentices has created a more motivated and satisfied workforce.

For many apprentices, your workplace will be their first experience of ‘real work’, so they’ll have no preconceived ideas about how your business should function. Experienced workers may already have a set way of doing things which may conflict with your way of working, whereas you can mold an apprentice into the role you need them to fulfill.

Training Programmes

This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to dedicate huge amounts of time to training. An approved apprenticeship programme by a reputable organisation will take care of the majority of the training, and can tailor a course to reflect your work ethos and processes. Your apprentice will have to work alongside a more experienced member of the team and although some may see this as a hindrance, it will allow you to develop your existing workers in to a people management role, giving them more responsibility and enabling you to retain more accomplished workers in this role.

80% Employers who hire apprentices reported an increase in productivity and staff retention, as apprentices who have gained their qualifications and trade through the company tend to remain loyal to their employer. This allows employers to maintain a core team who understand the business, your work ethos and processes.

Financial Incentives

There’s growing support of apprenticeship programmes as a way to boost the UK workforce, by providing jobs and skills for young people that will help to get them into full time employment. This is especially true in the construction industry, where skilled tradespeople are required to assist with regeneration projects that will help to lift the UK economy from the recession. As a result, the government has set up financial incentives for business to employ apprentices, such as fully funded training and a grant for employers of up to £1,500.