New research from the Learning & Skills Council has highlighted the impact of apprentices on business performance. Over three-quarters of respondents felt their apprenticeship programme made them more competitive, while the same number believed apprenticeships led to higher productivity.
Moreover, the survey shows that without apprenticeships the outlook for the country’s business looks bleak. 83% of employers rely on their apprenticeship programme to provide the skilled workers they need for the future. Two-thirds of respondents claim that they would struggle to find trained staff with the skills they need without apprenticeship programmes, meaning apprenticeships can help address skills shortages.
The findings also demonstrate the impact of apprenticeships on recruitment and retention, with 80% believing that the programme improves staff retention and turnover. Two-thirds of respondents believe their Apprenticeship programme helps them fill vacancies more quickly, while 88% believe apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.
Stephen Gardner, Director of Apprenticeships at the Learning and Skills Council commented, “These survey results confirm the significant benefits that employers achieve from apprenticeships, from increased competitiveness and overall productivity to improved staff retention and motivation. The impressive return on employers’ investment shows that apprenticeships are an excellent way to improve the bottom line, helping build the workforce employers need for future success. There are currently 130,000 companies reaping the benefits of apprenticeships, and we are calling for even more employers to open their doors to apprentices.”
Skills Minister David Lammy MP stated, “The global economy is evolving rapidly and the jobs of yesterday will not be the jobs of tomorrow. Apprenticeships have a vital part to play in ensuring our nation’s competitiveness, which is why the government is committing more than £1 billion to increase the number of apprentice places by 2010/11.”
Other findings include:
59% report that training apprentices is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff, with 59% believing apprenticeships lead to lower overall training costs and 53% feeling they reduce recruitment costs.
In terms of the return on investment linked to apprenticeships, 41% say their apprentices make a valuable contribution to the business during their training period, while a further third (33%) report apprentices add value within their first few weeks or even from day one.
57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management positions within the company.
Over three-quarters of respondents expect apprenticeships to play a bigger part in their recruitment policy in the future.
(Courtesy The People Bulletin)
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