Apprenticeships are a win for business and candidates

The importance of Apprenticeships.

This week sees the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2023 in the UK, and we’re passionate about celebrating and promoting it.

Why? Because apprenticeships give people the chance to build the skills they need to develop meaningful careers and because those careers are the future of not just our company, but all companies.

So, what’s in it for employers?

In this current climate where recruitment can be a real challenge, helping develop people through apprenticeships allows businesses to take on new-to-work starters or develop their own talent leading to increases in retention, productively and motivation. ?

Indeed, the latest government research among businesses finds that:

• 92% of companies that have taken on apprentices believe this leads to a more motivated and satisfied workforce
• 86% said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
• 80% have seen a significant increase in employee retention

These are significant benefits that really show why apprenticeships are worth investing in.

Ultimately, they allow us to “grow our own” by creating opportunities through our emerging talent programmes. These programmes give those who are new to the work force or changing careers the chance to build the skills they need to develop meaningful careers.

At Capita, we aim to continue to develop these opportunities from apprenticeships. Currently 3.3% of our eligible workforce are undertaking apprenticeship programmes and we aim to grow this to 5% over the coming year.

We know the development of our people is key and we’re proud to have supported over 1000 existing colleagues to start their apprenticeship journey.?

Is it complex to hire them?

Definitely not. If you’re a smaller employer, you are eligible for government funding which will pay between 95% and 100% of the apprentice training costs. If you’re a large employer, you can use your levy to pay for your apprenticeship training.

And apprentices, what do they get?

Apprenticeships give Capita’s colleagues the opportunity to develop the skills they need; not only to progress within their careers but also future proof their skills, gaining the knowledge and understanding that will help them continue to deliver in an ever-changing world.

From my own experience as an apprentice currently on the L7 Senior Leader programme in partnership with Corndel and Imperial College London, I’ve hugely benefitted not just from the high quality of learning and coaching provided but the opportunity to network and learn from other learners in my cohort, both inside and outside of Capita.

Having also managed apprentices, I’ve experienced firsthand the benefits that apprenticeship learning can bring both to individuals and Capita as a whole. By embedding learning into their day-to-day roles, we are seeing colleagues that are undertaking apprenticeships advance in their careers, feel more confident in their abilities, and increase their productivity.

Spreading the word

Not only does Capita utilise apprenticeships to develop our own people but we also support other employers to do the same. ?We estimate by April 2023 we’ll have gifted a total of ￡1,001,643 since April 2022 to various organisations to support them with delivering apprenticeships.

Capita Skills & Learning has more than 30 years’ experience and has worked with over 10,000 learners, supporting apprentices develop their curiosity and a love of lifelong learning. We work with employers to maximize their levy and build a quality apprenticeship programme that will boost productivity, increase retention, and address skills shortages within their organisation.

If you want to find out more about apprenticeships at Capita check out??https://www.capita.com/careers/emerging-talent/apprenticeship Or if you’d like us to help develop your apprentice programmes?you can find more information at https://www.capita.com/expertise/learning/capita-apprenticeships

Skills for life

There’s no time like now to start your business’ apprenticeship journey. It’s a real win-win for both employers and employees. But apart from all the business benefits, isn’t it just the right thing to do to help people progress and develop skills that will remain for the rest of their lives?