{"id":27603,"date":"2018-06-08T07:30:50","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T11:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stagingweb.trainingindustry.com\/?p=27603"},"modified":"2018-05-31T13:15:08","modified_gmt":"2018-05-31T17:15:08","slug":"5-things-to-know-about-taking-on-an-apprentice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/blog\/workforce-development\/5-things-to-know-about-taking-on-an-apprentice\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things to Know About Taking on an Apprentice"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2366,2156,2838],"class_list":["post-27603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-apprenticeships","tag-government","tag-u-k","global_topic_tax-workforce-development"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":"Paul Fegan","author_image":27601,"author_bio":"Paul Fegan is the managing director of Capital City College Training<\/a>, which has trained over 2,000 apprentices on behalf of 1,000 employers.","excerpt":"Taking on an apprentice differs in a few ways from hiring an employee, as apprentices need more in the way of training, funding and on-the-job guidance. Here are a few things you should know about hiring an apprentice.","main_content":"Apprenticeships are a vital part of the business world. They not only give people their first step on the career ladder, but they also provide companies with young minds and the means to find new levels of success. Employing an apprentice<\/a> is very different from taking on a regular employee, so it\u2019s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the process.\r\n\r\nIn the digital age, modern technology has become an essential part of society, and the most notable impact is undoubtedly the transformation of the business world. For companies to succeed in a highly competitive market, it\u2019s essential for them to embrace creativity and innovation \u2014 and what better way to do so than by introducing a young mind into the workplace?\r\n\r\nTaking on an apprentice differs in a few ways from hiring an employee, as apprentices need more in the way of training, funding and on-the-job guidance. Here are a few things you should know about hiring an apprentice.","full_width":false,"content_band":[{"acf_fc_layout":"social_callout","blockquote":"Taking on an apprentice differs in a few ways from hiring an employee, including training, funding and on-the-job guidance."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content_area","wysiwyg":"1. The Apprenticeship Levy Fund (U.K. Employers)<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAn apprentice is a business investment and, therefore, requires funding for necessary training and development. In the U.K., the structure of apprenticeship funding has changed over the last couple of years with the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. The levy is a plan put in place by the government to create over three million new apprenticeships by 2020 by encouraging employers to hire apprentices.\r\n\r\nIf the annual wage bill of your business is more than \u00a33 million, you will have to pay the apprenticeship levy (0.5 percent of your wage bill). Employers are given an allowance of \u00a315,000 toward the amount they have to pay. If the wage bill is less than \u00a33 million, you aren\u2019t required to pay the levy. Instead, the government contributes 90 percent of the cost of apprentice training, leaving you to cover the remaining 10 percent.\r\n\r\n2. Apprentices Have a Positive Influence on the Workplace.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nA recent study by the U.K. Department for Education revealed that 75 percent of small and medium businesses employing an apprentice<\/a> experienced increased productivity. The study found a variety of other benefits, including:\r\n\r\n \t- Improved staff morale<\/li>\r\n \t
- Enhanced product or service quality<\/li>\r\n \t
- The introduction of fresh ideas<\/li>\r\n \t
- Better staff retention<\/li>\r\n \t
- A greater chance of attracting quality staff<\/li>\r\n \t
- Improved company image<\/li>\r\n \t
- Lower wage bill<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThese benefits are evidence of how the enthusiasm and diligent nature of an apprentice can make him or her an asset to your business and a positive influence on the company and its employees.\r\n\r\n3. You\u2019ll Benefit From a Recruitment Consultation.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWhile there\u2019s no doubt that there are thousands of young people out there looking for a career, it doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019ll come knocking on your door anytime soon. Recruitment is vital to find the perfect apprentice for your business, and one efficient way to find suitable candidates is a recruitment consultation. Representatives from an apprentice recruitment and training company will familiarize themselves with your company and create a recruitment campaign that coincides with your goals, proposed training and placement of the apprentice.\r\n\r\n4. You Can Use the Funds to Upskill Current Employees.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nApprentices aren\u2019t the only ones who can benefit from the training and funding of an apprenticeship. In fact, you can use the apprenticeship levy fund<\/a> to upskill your current employees, whether it\u2019s to enhance their knowledge and progress in their current role or to help them move up the ladder into managerial positions.\r\n\r\nEvery company is different, so whether you choose to upskill current employees or recruit an entry-level apprentice will depend on your needs as a business. For example, if you currently have no vacancies on your team, it may be in your best interests to provide further training for employees. By doing so, you could also open up some lower-level positions and make room for an apprentice to step in."},{"acf_fc_layout":"social_callout","blockquote":"Whether you choose to upskill current employees or recruit an entry-level apprentice will depend on your needs as a business."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content_area","wysiwyg":"[hubspot type=\"form\" portal=\"47185625\" id=\"31a02736-2bb1-49e9-8620-f2d41c01a162\" version=\"v4\"]\r\n\r\n