It's Time to Support Apprenticeships

The latest updates from SFEDI Awards and the enterprise skills agenda

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It's Time to Support Apprenticeships

This month sees the launch of Apprenticemakers.org.uk, a national online community which will enable businesses to connect at various stages of the Apprenticeship journey to ask questions and inspire others with their Apprenticeship success stories.

The community aims to support a greater take up of Apprenticeships amongst small and medium businesses and has been developed following a recommendation in the Holt Review to support peer to peer mentoring between employers.

Apprenticemakers.org.uk is a new project, led by SFEDI and funded by the National Apprenticeship Service, which will bring together existing and potential apprentice employers.

It will provide an opportunity for SMEs to connect with each other at various stages of the Apprenticeship journey; to share experiences, ask questions and be inspired about their future as an employer of apprentices. By enabling business owners to connect with those who have already benefited from bringing apprentices into their companies, it will help break down some of the barriers currently preventing more SMEs from taking on an apprentice.

The ultimate objective is to encourage the increased uptake of Apprenticeships amongst small businesses which will support business growth and the development of a skilled workforce.

Taking on an apprentice makes good business sense. Trained staff with the right skills for the job can do a wider range of tasks and take on new responsibilities. Taking on an apprentice is cost effective because people can learn while theyâ€™re on the job and the government contributes to the costs of learning.

When surveyed, businesses reported the following benefits:

81% said that employing apprentices generated higher overall productivity for their company
66% said that their Apprenticeship programme made them more competitive in their industry
92% said that their Apprenticeship programme better motivated staff and increased job satisfaction
74% said that apprentices tended to be more loyal, remaining at their company longer than non-apprentices

How Can a Business Get Involved?

The main ways for business owners to get involved in Apprenticemakers is:

Join the Apprenticemaker community and connect with fellow employers
Ask and answer questions in the Apprenticemaker forums
Take a look at the small business focused blogs and case studies
Learn about Apprenticeships for small businesses by using the illustrated interactive guide
Follow on Facebook and Twitter to receive updates and news

How Can a Partner and Training Organisation Get Involved?

Partners and training organisations will be encouraged to promote Apprenticemakers in the following ways:

Through a range of channels such as newsletters and social media. Content can be provided for any channels you have available, this could include a schedule of tweets/posts, case studies , blogs and some promotional text about Apprenticemakers
Promotion at appropriate meetings and events. Materials are available to hand out including Pocketbooks, Leaflets and Moo cards
If you have an event with a large number of businesses, Apprenticemakers can potentially send a representative to help businesses find out about the benefits of Apprenticeships and getting involved in Apprenticemakers
Following on Twitter and Facebook and retweeting/reposting Apprenticemaker activity

Sign up today and encourage more businesses to take on apprentices or to gain inspiration and support as you start your Apprenticeship journey.

Watch the Apprenticemakers film and find out how to get involved at Apprenticemakers.org.uk

To find out more about Apprenticemakers and discuss opportunities to get involved contact Sophie Hardwick by email at sophie.hardwick@sfedi.co.uk or call 0191 280 3130.