Growing your business with apprentices

With more funding to support recruitment of apprentices, it really is the gift that keeps on giving...

Prior to working at the National Apprenticeship Service in the late 2000s, I had always been an advocate for apprenticeships and vocational learning. The simple truth is that some people love learning on the job – they work better and are far more engaged learners than in a classroom setting. We are all different, and that simply does not change when it comes to how we learn.

After Coronavirus comes the rebuild and it is right to put young people at the forefront of that support when they are just starting out on their careers. I was delighted to hear Rishi Sunak provide businesses with a ￡2000 payment to create new Apprenticeships. This is a great boost for young apprentices and a great opportunity for businesses to get bright, enthusiastic, and dedicated people into the workforce.

"It is not just individual benefit, apprentices achieve so many good and productive outcomes for businesses they have worked in as apprentices and subsequently. Rishi’s ￡2000 support gift really is the gift that keeps on giving."

Getting the best from Apprenticeships

Working at the National Apprenticeship Service in my career and having, myself personally as a marketing director, mentored several young apprentices or employees starting out on their career – I know that to really get the best from this programme or any new starter, isn’t just about the apprentice putting the work in. The adage of what you put in you get out – is absolutely true here. Of course, some people do/can survive and thrive when ‘chucked in the deep end’…..but imagine being chucked in the deep end with a lifebuoy full of knowledge, support, experience, patience and a little wisdom. I think we all agree we would float and get to back to land much quicker.

Apprenticeships benefit the business and individuals

A great leader, manager or mentor is key to embedding new apprentice starts into your team or business. But this is not just about day, week, or month one….it is about embedding knowledge, your culture, your team values and really getting under the surface or what makes your business tick. Once you do this, you really open your business to a wealth of innovation, ideas, and energy – that you may not have known was missing before.

Having had the pleasure and opportunity to mentor young apprentices, I can honestly say I am humbled to have been a small part of their first career steps and super proud to see how they continue to fly in their careers today. Giving back, indeed gives back tenfold. Of my career achievements – those people that came to work with me as young apprentices – are undoubtedly my finest and proudest. Not that they were not bright, talented, hardworking individuals that would undoubtedly have got there on their own, but that I gave them the support and opportunity to find who they were from day one.

And it is not just individual benefit, apprentices achieve so many good and productive outcomes for businesses they have worked in as apprentices and subsequently. Rishi’s ￡2000 support gift really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Getting cost-effective marketing support with experienced strategic direction

When I set up my marketing consultancy, my inspiration stemmed from wanting to do the work I wanted to do. I did not want to lose the benefits I had of being a senior marketing director which enables you to embolden junior team members, guide them and encourage them to achieve their ambitions. Which is why, I have been working on providing a product which provides a mentoring service for young apprentices and junior marketeers which includes strategic marketing services for the business. It means that a business can employ and engage a marketing apprentice – without always having the requirement for an in-house senior marketer to define marketing strategy.

You get a day-to-day marketing support with an experienced strategic lead guiding them at a fraction of the cost of full-time senior marketing salary. You can get on with running your business, your apprentice gets the support to fly and I get to do the job I love. With my aim of leaving you with a Marketing Manager that soars, so that you no longer need our support.

If you want to find out more, please get in touch today.