5 Reasons why #DeadlineDay is similar to Apprentice Recruitment

This morning on the way to to my local office base, it's the usual drill. Train station, catch up on key news via The Metro, which may I add is my favourite paper for three reasons:

1. Free - Still love a freebie nearly 10 years after leaving University :)
2. Informative - Sport, Business, Tech and Current Affairs.
3. Easy to read inside a short commute

So, this morning was a little different. It was the aftermath of #DeadlineDay - one of the most engrossed days in a football fan's diary. January each year now sees England adopt a transfer window which can lead to some strange events. Players transferring to clubs they've not been linked with, clubs pulling out money we didn't know they had and some players kicking up a fuss and want out...in the hope a club comes in for them.

Then it hit me, 5 of high-profile sagas completed (or not completed in on case) just before/on Deadline Day (yesterday) were hugely similar to my world of apprentice recruitment. Whether it be education and student decision making cycle, targeted attraction, brand ambassadors, second jobbers or programme completions. There was an correlation between them. It just hit me in the face and I straight away, out comes the iPhone and I open Notes - then begin to jot down the player, the football context and apprentice recruitment relation. So let's kick-off (had to throw a pun in didn't I for those who know me!)

Sturridge- Liverpool to West Brom on loan.

• Gone to a club where he'll get experience, playing time and enhance his chances of securing a World Cup place with England in Summer 2018
• This could be a student gaining work experience in a field of interest to enhance their CV and chances of securing an apprenticeship OR more mature apprentice-seeker with experience, taking up some self-taught study to show their willingness to improve their career opportunities in that industry.

Can - Liverpool contract stall plus no deal yet with Juventus

• Stalled renewing his contract with Liverpool and hasn't committed yet to joining Juventus in Summer 2018.
• How timely! This is your Level 3 students currently debating to stick with going down the University/UCAS route or go for an apprenticeship which is potentially more suited to them and maybe gives them a better chance of career success (as much as I hate to admit as a Liverpool fan!)

Aubemeyang - Dortmund to Arsenal

• Huge outlay by The Gunners to land a prolific goalscorer and someone who's openly expressed a desire to join them, referring to Thierry Henry as someone he'd looked up to and wants to copy his success at the club.
• Well this is an obvious one? Brand ambassadors. Henry epitomised that era for Arsenal and was the face of the club and spoke highly of it - he still does to this day if you listen to his punditry. For me, there are some current/former apprentices or (apprentice related employees) out there who are synonymous with the employer/brand and speak highly of their experiences with apprenticeship and their employers:
• Steve Keith - EY
• Chris Achiampong - IBM (he might have some views on Aubemeyang and Ozil!)
• Amy Grange - Capgemini

Giroud - Arsenal to Chelsea

• With Morata not firing on all cylinders and a lack of faith in Batshuayi (subsequently replaced Aubemeyang on loan at Dortmund yesterday!), Chelsea pursued what seems a shortlist of tall, good in the air and available strikers to sign in this window. Rumours ranged from Crouch to Barnes (not John but Ashley - I know, bizarre but fitted the bill it seemed!) but in the end a ￡17m purchase of a proven Premier League and international striker albeit 31 years of age, could prove shrewd business. So Chelsea got their man to fit the bill.
• Well, another obvious link here to me but something many employers struggle with, targeting demographics. Data is key and helps to make some crucial decisions each day in all kinds of work. Buying the right amount of materials for a manual job like carpentry or plastering, whether to buy or sell shares on the stock market or how you go about re-actively or proactively targeting a demographic or audience for your apprentice recruitment campaigns. So you many not want to target by height or heading ability but you might want those interest in a style of working or culture fit, that happen to show evidence of success if given the opportunity. I don't think you can fault Giroud's mins/goal ratio in recent seasons! However, did Klopp go for him at Liverpool? No. He wouldn't have fitted in to his recruitment plans.

Ozil - Arsenal contract signed

• I'll end with this one. This man had stalled on signing a contract extension which suggest he's not happy or thinks the grass is greener somewhere else, possibly linked to Arsenal under-performing comparably in the past 5 years he's been there. Keeping him has been a challenge.
• Retention. Many employers may be taking on apprentices to help with the Levy, or some kind of CR&S aligned activity or from the salaries I see sometimes, cheap labour. If you're doing this because of one or more of the above, don't be surprised to see an exodus. Apprentices should be supported, valued and an investment into your workforce of the future.

Just like giving a home-grown talent a chance to flourish. A great example of an apprentice who became a master in their industry? STEVEN GERRARD. #YNWA