What Apprenticeship Strategy?

Apprenticeships, easy you don’t need an apprenticeship strategy you just hire a young person and sign them up to college – don’t you?

Well yes, you could adopt this approach, but I strongly recommend you don’t. Would you be this flippant with purchasing a new piece of equipment for your business, I doubt it, so why would you take this approach with hiring an apprentice?

Hiring an apprentice is an investment and like any other business investment you would carry out due diligence, and the same approach needs to be applied to your apprenticeship programme.

Start by looking at the short, mid and long-term business needs ensuring you align your apprenticeship programme to your succession plan, especially for hard to recruit for areas. Once you have identified the needs and aim of the apprenticeship, you will have the basis for your apprentice strategy.

Communication is a key element of the strategy, make sure you share the aims of the apprenticeship throughout the business, especially to those the apprentice will be working with, and invite them to get involved at the early stages to help shape the on-site training the apprentice will need to complete.

Remember an apprenticeship is a collaboration between the apprentice, the business and the training provider, don’t put the onus on one element along, they are all vital components of any apprenticeship.

Sue Potter set up SPotter Talent as a consultancy with a vision to create learning cultures within business, and a mission to motivate, inspire and empower people to do things they never thought were possible.

With over 10 years’ experience in leading apprenticeship programmes, Sue is a strong advocate for apprenticeships, and wants to spread the word to non-levy payers that they can tap into the levy funding.

If you would like to find out how Sue can help your business, get in contact with her via email: info@spottertalent.com, telephone 07486 073844 or via her website www.spottertalent.com