One in three small to medium-sized businesses in the UK currently offer apprenticeships, according to recent research.
Figures also show that almost two-fifths of those who hire take apprentices say it gives them access to young talent, while another third say it brings in skill sets the business may be lacking.
The Close Brothers Business Barometer is a quarterly survey of small to medium-sized business owners and senior managers.
Mike Randall, CEO of Close Brothers Asset Finance, said it would benefit the wider economy if participation in such programmes were to increase.
He said: 'Apprenticeships becoming more embedded in our culture can only be a good thing as they allow employers to develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce, whilst at the same time improving employability prospects for the younger generation.'
But many small businesses may be put off by the recruitment process and cost of training, Randall says. Government incentives mean it may become easier for small businesses to hire apprenticeships.
From April 2016, employers will no longer be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.
And small businesses may get a £1,500 grant to help cover the cost of starting a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 years old.
One former apprentice who started out life working withsmall businesses is Samuel-James Wilson.
He was expelled at school at 15 and found a work placement and eventual apprenticeship with a local plumber. 'My attitude to life totally changed at this point, I was learning things that I was interested in and I spent my free time researching and not just hanging out with friends. I did this for a further two years before I decided plumbing wasn't really for me. I then began my journey as a bricklayer,' he said.
Although Wilson remembers his own employers' struggle with paperwork and costs during the apprenticeship, he said they came to an arrangement that suited them.
'I offered to take a pay cut to ensure that I could continue learning, I also took on two extra jobs to pay the rent. I would do anything to ensure that I had a career and qualifications to ensure I could live out my dreams and travel the world. 'I have worked so hard to get to where I am and that would not have happened without apprenticeships and the kind people along the way that have spared some time for me,' he added.
Wilson is now a Heritage Brick Worker after completing a scholarship with The Prince's Foundation in the UK and is now working on Hampton Court Palace. And he's just about to take his own leap into the small business world.
'Throughout my apprenticeship I worked alongside various tradesman across the board, many of whom owned their own businesses. I have seen both sides of this world and having grown up around it I feel I am now ready to follow in their footsteps and try make a name for myself. So, could apprenticeships be one way of shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs? 'Apprenticeships are not just about getting qualifications and tools it's so much more and although you may not realise at the time, it's helping shape you into a professional.
'At the point where I feel I am ready to take on an apprentice I will, to give someone a chance like I have would be a special moment for me and something I would enjoy greatly,' Wilson added.
Figures also show that almost two-fifths of those who hire take apprentices say it gives them access to young talent, while another third say it brings in skill sets the business may be lacking.
The Close Brothers Business Barometer is a quarterly survey of small to medium-sized business owners and senior managers.
Mike Randall, CEO of Close Brothers Asset Finance, said it would benefit the wider economy if participation in such programmes were to increase.
He said: 'Apprenticeships becoming more embedded in our culture can only be a good thing as they allow employers to develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce, whilst at the same time improving employability prospects for the younger generation.'
But many small businesses may be put off by the recruitment process and cost of training, Randall says. Government incentives mean it may become easier for small businesses to hire apprenticeships.
From April 2016, employers will no longer be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.
And small businesses may get a £1,500 grant to help cover the cost of starting a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 years old.
One former apprentice who started out life working withsmall businesses is Samuel-James Wilson.
He was expelled at school at 15 and found a work placement and eventual apprenticeship with a local plumber. 'My attitude to life totally changed at this point, I was learning things that I was interested in and I spent my free time researching and not just hanging out with friends. I did this for a further two years before I decided plumbing wasn't really for me. I then began my journey as a bricklayer,' he said.
Although Wilson remembers his own employers' struggle with paperwork and costs during the apprenticeship, he said they came to an arrangement that suited them.
'I offered to take a pay cut to ensure that I could continue learning, I also took on two extra jobs to pay the rent. I would do anything to ensure that I had a career and qualifications to ensure I could live out my dreams and travel the world. 'I have worked so hard to get to where I am and that would not have happened without apprenticeships and the kind people along the way that have spared some time for me,' he added.
Wilson is now a Heritage Brick Worker after completing a scholarship with The Prince's Foundation in the UK and is now working on Hampton Court Palace. And he's just about to take his own leap into the small business world.
'Throughout my apprenticeship I worked alongside various tradesman across the board, many of whom owned their own businesses. I have seen both sides of this world and having grown up around it I feel I am now ready to follow in their footsteps and try make a name for myself. So, could apprenticeships be one way of shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs? 'Apprenticeships are not just about getting qualifications and tools it's so much more and although you may not realise at the time, it's helping shape you into a professional.
'At the point where I feel I am ready to take on an apprentice I will, to give someone a chance like I have would be a special moment for me and something I would enjoy greatly,' Wilson added.
