Apprenticeships are the way forward!

[collegeworker]

Hi all

I have posted about this already on the General Business forum but I thought I would put it out there again on here to see if I could get more opinions from local businesses (we are based in Peterborough)

I am really just trying to find out what is putting so many local businesses off taking on apprentices?

I understand some employers have had bad experiences with them in the past but we shouldn't generalise and tar all young people with the same brush. We have some very bright 16-24 year olds looking for an opportunity to gain relevant work experience and achieve a recognised qualification at the end of it. Unfortunately, trying to find employers that are willing to give them these opportunities is proving very difficult.

Just a few facts on Apprenticeships for you:

- Apprentices can be a great asset to your company as the cost to your business is minimal – the minimum wage is just £2.50 an hour.
- Apprenticeship programmes are work based, meaning typically the apprentice spends 4 days a week at placement and 1 day a week at college
- At college they are working towards a certificate and once completed they do not have to attend college once a week. This will take approximately 6 months to achieve, after which the apprentice will typically work in the placement 5 days a week (full time)
- Apprentices must work a minimum 20 hours a week so can work with you full or part time depending on your business needs
- The timescale of the Apprenticeship is approximately 1 year, but this will be dependent on each apprentice
- Apprenticeships are offered to people who are 16 – 24 years of age
- 90% of employers would recommend organisations take on more apprentices
- 82% of employers said that apprenticeships give them a good return on investment

I would appreciate any thoughts on this and any experiences you may have had with apprentices in the past?

[blloyd]

Our company looked at taking on apprentices but it quickly became apparent that the skill levels were way below that required to actually be part of our team and assist. Small businesses do not have endless resources available to handhold people throughout the day; they need staff who can hit the ground running. We would love to be able to help and were really keen on apprenticeships, but as things stand, like most small businesses, we cannot afford to take the initial hit in productivity to make the scheme work.