Personally Speaking - Catherine Brierley

The value of apprenticeships...

Whilst the barriers to becoming or employing an apprentice can sometimes seem quite daunting and complex, at Stoke on Trent College, help is at hand to navigate the process ensuring a positive experience for both the apprentice and the employer.

I am a great champion of apprenticeships and their importance for the country’s economy and future. The word apprenticeships come from the old French word aprentisz which means “someone in learning”. I am sure we all know in our own families those who have completed or are on an apprenticeship journey. My own father started as an apprentice, progressing to be a master carpenter and eventually running a very successful architectural company. He had a lifelong commitment to employing apprentices and many of those young apprentices have since gone on to establish companies of their own. The impact of this immersion into apprenticeships has made me very conscious of the need for employers to employ apprentices to train and then deliver the skills that this country needs.

For individuals, an apprenticeship is a fantastic way of gaining industry skills and expertise in a chosen field with skills and knowledge being developed with their employer alongside their training provider, such as the College. It is a brilliant opportunity to learn whilst you earn, with the apprentice being paid a salary. Apprenticeships can take anything from a year up to four years to complete, depending on the apprenticeship chosen.

One of our own Apprentices with Unitas, Brooke, recognises the positive impact an Apprenticeship has had on her own career journey, she says: “Being an Apprentice with Unitas fills me with pride and gratitude. The support I've received has been amazing, giving me confidence and belief in my potential. As I continue my journey as a Business Admin Apprentice I am filled with optimism for a brighter future.”?

For many years apprenticeships have been misunderstood and there is also a myth that apprenticeships are only for school leavers, which simply is not the case. There’s no age limit for those wishing to begin an apprenticeship and there is a wealth of options from Level 2 through to degree-level apprenticeships, depending on your chosen field or interest.

Apprenticeships are a worthwhile investment that employers across all sectors should consider. Offering an array of benefits, from increased employee satisfaction to improved retention rates, Apprenticeship programmes are a proven way to help individuals develop their career whilst generating positive results for businesses. Don’t just take my word for it though, as there are a whole host of high-profile successful apprentices such as Apprentice Painter - Leonardo da Vinci, Apprentice Tailor - Stella McCartney or Apprentice Actor - Sir Ian McKellan.

The benefits of apprenticeships for businesses have been researched extensively over recent years. Most notably, 98% of organisations that currently employ apprentices report experiencing additional benefits to their business.

One of our longstanding employers, Neil Powell MD of Carson Powell Construction Ltd is more than aware of the positive benefits of employing Apprentices, he said “We’ve been employing Apprentices in conjunction with Stoke on Trent College for over 10 years, many of whom stay with us following the completion of their Apprenticeship programme.? Apprenticeships enable our business to grow a pipeline of skills and develop individuals to meet our business needs, helping to grow our business.? Apprenticeships are our future.”

The Government have pledged to create up to 20,000 new apprenticeships with an additional investment of ￡60m, helping to fully fund training for young people – making the recruitment of an apprentice more appealing to the employer, and removing some of the red tape that previously small businesses have had to navigate their way through. Those small to medium sized companies who do not pay the apprenticeship levy no longer have to contribute to the training of an apprentice if they are under the age of 21 and from April 2024, this means that their 5% contribution for training and assessment has gone. ?

There has never been a better time to embrace the apprenticeship journey. If you’re an employer and wish to invest in skills for your organisation’s future, then hiring an apprentice is the perfect solution.? Our Apprenticeships and Skills Team will be happy to guide you through the process.

See how hiring an apprentice can help your business grow.