Apprenticeships have grown in popularity over the past five years, returning to pre-pandemic levels, and with the help of public investment in programmes such as, National Apprenticeships Week, are now a competitive choice for younger individuals leaving education. However, it is often overlooked that apprenticeships can be just as useful to those already established in their careers, even in leadership positions. Over three quarters of apprenticeships started in 2022/23 were at advanced or higher level.
The automotive industry is changing rapidly and ensuring your teams are equipped with the skills needed to navigate this transformation period is critical. Upskilling your existing staff through apprenticeships as opposed to replacing them comes with benefits. It can potentially avoid the need for redundancies and improve your employee loyalty – helping to benefit your reputation as an employer and establish a positive workplace culture. It can also help to promote a more diverse workforce within your organisation by developing employees of all ages, avoiding the “out with the old, in with the new” mindset.
Apprenticeships allow you to invest in educating your employees while still maintaining a strong operating workforce. With the opportunity to offer apprenticeship programmes to individuals, groups and even large scale bespoke programmes, they are a viable option for many organisations. With the knowledge that they can continue to earn while they learn, colleagues may be more open to development opportunities, where they would not have previously considered “going back to school” for financial reasons.
One of the first steps in a succession plan is identifying any internal successors, and in many cases, this can mean individuals who may be a decent fit, but lacking some element of experience or under qualified in a certain area. With nearly 200 apprenticeship choices across all areas of businesses, including executive leadership, they provide a chance for additional learning to individuals who are already established within a business, but who are looking to progress or even seeking a career change, perhaps taking on a role in a different department.
Skills gaps are an issue faced in every organisation and the gaps are widening as technologies advance and competition for skills increases. For senior leaders looking to combat this in their organisation, apprenticeships can provide access to individuals with the latest education in technology and EVs, helping to bridge those skills gaps.
Individuals with creative skills and practical learning styles are more likely to consider apprenticeship style learning where they are given the freedom to learn by doing. Engaging with individuals who are not necessarily university educated, enables employers to embrace new attitudes and ways of thinking while also giving opportunity to individuals with varied practical skill sets that may not have excelled in strictly academic settings.
It is evident that apprenticeships provide many benefits for organisations of all sizes and individuals at every level, and should not be overlooked or seen as being confined to a route of transition from formal education to the workplace.
This National Apprenticeship Week offers businesses and their senior leaders a view of a different way of training, a chance to explore how an apprenticeship may benefit their organisations in multiple ways, whether that be through development of the current workforce, contributing to succession planning strategies or diversifying the workplace.
Find out more about how your business can benefit from apprenticeships, including the financial support available, by clicking here: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/
