It's not just the business giants that should be reaping the benefits of apprenticeships, a college chief has claimed.
Michelle Elliott, director of business development at Stockton Riverside College, says small to medium-sized firms should also look to apprenticeships to see how they can cultivate talent and potentially help future-proof their business.
Speaking to the Gazette during National Apprenticeship Week 2015, which runs throughout this week, she said: “Apprenticeships can deliver a made-to-measure workforce, designed specifically to meet an employer’s business requirements.”
With an increased national focus on developing higher level skills, she added, apprenticeships could also go some way to help tackle existing skills gaps.
Ms Elliott’s views come as the National Apprenticeship Service drives home the positive impact of apprenticeships on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
The national event is designed to celebrate apprenticeships and the level of success that learners can achieve, with a particular focus this year on encouraging more small businesses to take on apprentices.
Since 2010 there have been more than two million apprenticeship starts-ups in England with roles now available in more than 170 industries. It is estimated that apprenticeships contributed £34 billion to the UK economy in 2014.
“Apprenticeships offer an alternative to learners that ultimately helps them get into the world of work,” said Ms Elliott.
“It offers an opportunity to upskill staff and develop a tailor-made workforce, with the flexibility to focus on the skills their individual business needs.”
According to the National Apprenticeship Service, businesses gain a £214 a week average rise in productivity when they hire apprentices, while nine out of 10 employers report benefits to their business. Nine out of ten apprentices stay in employment after finishing their apprenticeship, 71% stay with the same employer and 70% of employers reported that apprenticeships improved their productivity or the quality of their product or service.
However, Government statistics showed a dip in apprenticeship start-ups across the country in the academic year 2013/14.
Ms Elliott said: “This could have been due to a number of issues, one of which was a reform of the minimum duration of an apprenticeship, brought into effect by the Specification of Apprentice Standards for England in 2011/12, to help ensure quality.”
Stockton Riverside College, she said, had seen continued growth over recent years with take-up rocketing from 41 live apprenticeships in 2011/12 to more than 280. In that time, the college has also witnessed a significant growth in the number of sectors choosing to take on apprentices.
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