With National Apprenticeship Week 2021 just around the corner, now’s the perfect opportunity to think about whether an apprentice would be a good fit for your business.

Businesses continue to face considerable challenges as they navigate their way through the Covid-19 pandemic.

With many sectors such as hospitality and retail still completely closed for business it’s certain to be another difficult year ahead.

But despite the situation, it’s important for businesses to focus on the future, plan ahead and, where they can, invest in the most important resource – staff.

With National Apprenticeship Week 2021 just around the corner, now’s the perfect opportunity to think about whether an apprentice could be a good fit for your business going forward.

The week-long celebration of apprenticeships from 8 to 14 February will shine a light on the fantastic work being done by employers and apprentices across the country and recognise how employers of all sizes have stepped up to the challenge during these unprecedented times.

Apprentices are an exciting option for employers and apprentices.

As an employer you can employ apprentices at different stages in their education, from school leavers and university graduates, to people wo want to develop their careers or change career pathways completely.

You can hire someone new or upskill an existing employee and get funding from the government to help pay for apprenticeship training.

Employer Apprenticeship Benefits

As an employer, taking on an apprentice can have a number of key benefits such as:

• Helping you to grow talent
• Developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce
• Improving your business’ productivity
• Enhancing the quality of your product or service
• Adapting the apprentice’s training according to your business needs
• Motivating them to learn new skills
• Enabling you to expand and upskill your workforce

In the current climate, it’s also important to consider finances, but businesses shouldn’t see taking on an apprentice as an additional financial burden.

In fact, apprentices can help to strengthen your business financially due to lower recruitment costs, increased productivity and improved staff retention.

You can also receive help from the government to pay for apprenticeship training. The amount you receive depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy or not, which is payable for employers with a pay bill over £3 million each year.

Your business can also claim up to £2,000 as an incentive payment if you hire an apprentice who joins/joined you between 1 August 2020 and 31 March and you have until 30 April to make that claim.

So, as we approach National Apprenticeship Week 2021 and apprenticeships find themselves in the national spotlight, the benefits that apprentices can bring to your business should certainly be giving you food for thought.

Find more information about the Apprenticeships we offer at Coventry College and see if they would be a good fit for your business.