Five benefits of employing an Apprentice

Apprenticeships can be used to attract new recruits or develop existing employees. Here are some benefits of employing an apprentice:

1. Attract new talent

Recruiting an apprentice is an effective way of attracting new talent and developing skilled staff to meet the needs of your business. Apprenticeships can be tailored to individual requirements and a bespoke service can be provided to recruit an apprentice that can be trained in your company culture and ethos. 

2. New skills and fresh perspectives

Employing an apprentice can bring new skills and a fresh approach to your business which can help to boost the morale of your workforce. Knowledge, ideas and skills can be shared between new and existing staff which can encourage productivity and creativity.

3. Reduce the skills gap

Apprenticeship programmes help to close the skills gap by developing the right skills needed for your business and industry. Apprenticeships can be tailored to the requirements and needs of your business to ensure the right skills, knowledge and behaviours are developed for your workforce. On-the-job training and classroom learning make sure apprentices are trained to industry standard helping them to be highly skilled and productive in their role.

4. Improve staff retention

Apprenticeships are ideal for developing the skills and knowledge of existing employees which can help them to feel valued, support them with progression within the company, and encourage staff retention. Apprenticeship programmes can improve employee engagement which can increase staff loyalty.

5. Good for your business

Apprenticeships develop a skilled workforce for the future and allow new and past knowledge and skills to be shared between apprentices and existing staff. Overall, this helps to create industry growth and sustainability.

When hiring an apprentice, you may be surprised to learn that EKC Training’s recruitment service is free.   

Advertising, shortlisting and interviewing of candidates is taken care of by our recruitment team, saving your business time and money. 

You can also get £1,000 to support your apprentice in the workplace if, at the start of their apprenticeship training, they are one of the following:

• 16 to 18 years old (or 15 years old if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August)
• 19 to 24 years old with an education, health and care (EHC) plan 
• 19 to 24 years old and have been in care

This £1000 can be spent on any costs related to their employment, for example their salary, travel costs or uniform.

It’s good to note that if your Apprentice is under the age of 25, there is no National Insurance (NI) contributions to pay from employers. For businesses working with tight margins, this can make a significant difference in the overall cost of hiring. These savings mean that your businesses can invest in training, development and a bigger workforce, without the added financial pressures.