There are many benefits to hiring an apprentice into your team or retraining your staff via apprenticeships. This doesn’t stop at utilising any unspent levy funds or improving your company’s CSR.

Apprentices can really add value to your team and as such, your organisation. In figures release by the National Apprenticeship Service, 80% of businesses with apprentices reported that employee retention had improved and 41% said that their apprentices made a valuable contribution to the business during their training period.

Offering training and development to your employees results in a more motivated and satisfied workforce as individuals feel valued and as though they are progressing at work. It is also a key factor in retaining valuable employees with a report by AAT finding that over half of employers believed that improving staff qualifications had a direct correlation to increased staff commitment and retention.

As well as improving company culture, apprenticeships can have a positive impact on your bottom line. Over recent years, the UK has seen a growing skills gap develop without the staff resources or training to fill it. However, apprenticeships offer the chance to train staff with the skills necessary for the future. The Standards that dictate the key skills, knowledge and behaviours required to complete the apprenticeship have been developed by employers, for employers. This ensures that all training is relevant to the job role.

Why is this especially important for the West Midlands?

Within the West Midlands, there has been an increasing lack of skilled workers to fill some of the most lucrative work in the region. In 2016, nearly a third of all the jobs created in the country were within the greater West Midlands area. However, 13% of the current population is still without skills – the worst in the country.

Apprenticeships offer the chance for this 13% and more to gain the skills and knowledge required to carry out the growing jobs in the region. Through learning on the job, these individuals can develop into the workforce that an employer needs to excel.

Training your employees via apprenticeships creates a ready-made employee with all of the skills necessary to carry the business and team into the future.

Interested? Please get in touch with Kufa Matiya on 07718 493 003/ kufa.matiya@archapprentices.co.uk