Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week
The theme of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week – the tenth since its inception in 2007 – is ‘Ladder of Opportunity!’ highlighting the progression routes from traineeships to Higher and Degree apprenticeships.
There has never been a better time to employ apprentices, with the Apprenticeship Levy starting next month (6 April), giving Levy payers the opportunity to recover their payments in the form of funding for apprenticeships and non-Levy payers access to 90% of the cost of apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships enable not only businesses but any type of organisation in both private and public sectors to grow their own talent, developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
Apprenticeship participation increased to 899,400 in the 2015/16 academic year, up 3.2 per cent on 2014/15 and the highest number on record.
To mark 10 years of the National Apprenticeship Service’s annual celebration of apprenticeships and their positive impact, here are 10 good reasons to employ or become an apprentice in 2017:
- Apprenticeships are available in 1,500 job roles, covering more than 170 industries
- Up to 28,000 quality apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time
- Apprenticeships boost productivity to businesses by an average of £214 per week
- Apprenticeships enable businesses to grow their skills base, resulting in increased profits, lower prices and better products
- 87% of employers said they were satisfied with their apprenticeship programme
- 76% of employers say that productivity has improved
- 75% of employers report that apprenticeships improved the quality of their product or service
- After finishing, the majority of apprentices (90%) stay in employment (including 2% self-employed), with seven in ten (71%) staying with the same employer
- A quarter of former apprentices had been promoted (23%) within 12 months of finishing
- Those completing a Higher or Degree apprenticeship could see increased earnings of around £150,000 over their lifetime
*Data taken from the DfE Apprenticeship Core Brief – November 2016
If you’re interested in employing an apprentice, call the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600 or go to GOV.UK and search ‘apprenticeships’.
For more information about Higher and Degree apprenticeships and the Apprenticeship Levy, contact us.