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The Golden Age of Apprenticeships

Launched in April 2009, the National Apprenticeship Service has had a successful and eventful first year.

They have overseen the development of a full end to end service for employers with focused marketing, an active field force, advice for employers, and a great online system to match potential apprentices into their posts. Over the year their focus on employers has sharpened and they now have dedicated service teams in each region, providing a personal and practical support to employers of all sizes and sectors. Matching together vacancies with applicants online has been a major success and at any one time they now have around 8000 live vacancies on the site with this figure rising all the time.

Something borne out by the longer term figures with 2008-9 seeing a record number of 240,000 Apprenticeship starts, a 7% increase on the previous year. Considering that ten years ago there were around 60,000 Apprenticeships across the country, the upward trend is clear to see. Apprenticeships are making a comeback and the ambition to have one in five young people undertaking an Apprenticeship by 2020 becomes more realistic by the day. On top of the starts increasing they have also been delighted to see that the success rate for Apprenticeships has risen this year to over 70%, backing up the stories they hear from apprentices every day; that they really do value the training they receive.

The business case for apprentices is clear. BT has calculated an annual net profit of more than £1,300 per apprentice when compared to non-apprentice recruitment for the same positions. In addition, it has found that its apprentices generate a rate of productivity that is 7.5% higher than non-apprentices. Similarly, 85% of BAE Systems apprentices who have completed the programme fulfil tasks correctly first time in comparison with external recruits who average 60%. Finally a study of the Superdrug Apprenticeship programme conducted by ROI Research found that the extra revenue generated by employing apprentices was seven times greater than the cost of the programme.

Today’s Apprenticeships are tailor made for business. Designed by industry, for industry and based around relevant, work-based training to ensure that apprentices add value to an organisation from the very start. As well as technical skills, apprentices are also trained in the key skills of communication and numeracy as well as team working and problem solving. This means that the way apprentices interact with clients and colleagues alike form part of the training.

Apprenticeships are a great way for small and medium sized business to expand and over 60% of apprentices are currently employed in small businesses.

Employers considering taking on an apprentice or seeking more information should visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk, or call to speak to a specialist adviser on 08000 150 600.

National Apprenticeship Service (NAS)

T: 020 7904 0926/07766 991 473

E: kate.dew@apprenticeships.gov.uk

To find out how Apprenticeships can be good for your business, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.

Apprenticeships. Good for Business.

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