Last week, Chancellor George Osborne announced financial incentives to encourage large employers to take on more apprentices, with assurances that firms will get back more than they put in. Despite government support like this and the benefits outlined in the link above, some business owners still need convincing.

As a former apprentice myself - at that great old dinosaur of a company known as GEC (General Electric Company) - and having employed one previously within my own family business, I’m wholly supportive of their benefit. However, I also know that many business owners remain blissfully unaware of the wide range and types of apprenticeships that are readily available. The days of only offering “trade” based apprenticeships for people like plumbers, electricians, and hairdressers are gone. These days, it has got a lot sexier.

Apprenticeships are now available in all the key skills areas necessary to operate a modern, efficient and profitable 21st century business, irrespective of size or sector. With modern business related subjects including digital marketing, business administration, social media, business skills and customer services, it is a fantastic opportunity for businesses of any size to access fresh talent and skills and maybe reduce some of the costs associated with training and recruitment.

If you need any more convincing, let’s hear from a Buckinghamshire Business First member, Ceri-Jane Hackling, Managing Director of Cerub PR, who has successfully recruited one apprentice and is now looking to repeat the experience:

“We needed some additional admin support in the office and as there had been a lot of publicity about apprenticeships we thought that taking one on could be the solution.

'We worked closely with the Employment Engagement team at Buckinghamshire Adult Learning to find an apprentice and Amie joined us in August 2014. From the start Amie made herself invaluable to us. She was able to take on the admin work that the rest of the team didn’t have time for, which meant our internal processes became more streamlined and organised and the team became more efficient. Over time she has also taken on the responsibility of marketing Cerub PR, putting together our newsletter and reporting back on the results. She was able to identify trends which means we’ve been able to amend the newsletter to make it more relevant to our subscribers.

“She’s been a huge asset and from September will be promoted to Account Executive, where she will continue with her marketing work, but will also get more involved in the PR side of things.

“We’ve been so pleased with her progress that we’ve just taken on another apprentice who has decided to forgo university in favour of joining us. We are sure that he will be as valuable an addition to the team as Amie has been.

“The apprenticeship scheme has worked really well for us. It’s a great way to grow your business and offer a young person the opportunity to get a head start in the workplace.”
So, if you are keen to learn more and find out if your skills shortages could be filled by an apprentice, visit the workforce support section of our website.

You can also find out more on the government website >

If you need business support of any nature, please contact me, Heather Martin, on 01494 568941 or at BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com