Manufacturing apprenticeship programmes are a great way to recruit fresh talent or to upskill your existing staff. With the Apprenticeship Levy it’s also easier and more cost-effective than you might imagine.
Here are five ways that manufacturing apprenticeships can benefit your company:
1. Graduates can often lack technical and practical skills
While university graduates in manufacturing fields can have high levels of theoretical knowledge, apprentices combine theory with real-world manufacturing skills. Tailored training packages ensure that apprentices gain the skills that really matter to your business.
Employers also mention that often graduates lack some of the ‘soft’ interpersonal skills that come from real life experience, where apprentices can have the upper hand.
2. Apprentices have better adaptability
The benefit of having apprentices ‘in-house’ is that it’s simpler to adapt to changes within the company or the sector.
By combining work and training, apprentices are better equipped to adapt to technological changes and able to shift between different ways of working.
3. Upskill your own staff with manufacturing apprenticeship programmes
Making the most of apprenticeships doesn’t have to mean recruiting totally new staff. You can enroll your existing staff onto apprentice training programmes and still benefit from government apprenticeship funding or use your Apprenticeship Levy to fund the training.
This way you retain your committed staff and gain invaluable new in-house skills. Training your team can also be much cheaper than recruitment and reduce employee turnover, as staff feel more valued.
4. Combine learning and doing
One advantage of apprenticeships over undergraduate schemes is their flexibility. Apprentices give 80% of their time to work and 20% to their apprenticeship training. Training can be done online in many cases, so apprentices can work from the office.
The training can be specifically tailored to suit your industry and your company, so apprentices can specialise in the skills they’ll need to thrive.
5. Make the most of the apprenticeship levy
The Apprenticeship Levy, introduced in 2017, is a fund to help employers invest in apprenticeships, which is great news for businesses looking to upskill staff. If your company payroll is under £3m a year, you’ll only need to pay 5% of the course costs, and the government will cover the other 95% through the Apprenticeship Levy. (Businesses with a payroll of £3m+ can fund the course via their levy.)
Do you want to explore how apprenticeships can benefit your business? Speak to our expert team about a tailored manufacturing apprenticeship package to suit your business.
