Using apprenticeships as a workforce planning tool

Financial uncertainties are forcing companies to replace and rethink their expertise necessities, to ensure they’ve the workforce and future expertise required to navigate monetary pressures whereas remaining aggressive of their markets.

Nichola Hay, Director of Apprenticeship Technique and Coverage at BPP explains that consequently, the so-called warfare for well-fitting expertise wages on, with analysis suggesting that round 75% of UK companies are experiencing expertise shortages, staggering enterprise and financial development.

To sort out this problem, enterprise leaders should make investments extra strategically to not solely equip their current workforce with the mandatory expertise to fill vital vacancies, however to additionally entice a wider pool of recent expertise. This may very well be achieved by introducing skilled apprenticeship programmes that may assist companies repeatedly adapt to adjustments in expertise necessities, whereas boosting resilience in the direction of surprising financial adjustments.

The enterprise case for introducing apprenticeships

The total potential of an apprenticeship programme might be ignored by the enterprise neighborhood – usually associating it with making a pipeline solely for college/school leaver expertise. However in actuality, skilled apprenticeship programmes might be tailor-made to a companies’ wants.

Whether or not they’re used for attracting expertise with a contemporary perspective and expertise to determine new enterprise alternatives, used as a software to retrain current workers, or to upskill employees in rising or nascent areas resembling AI and inexperienced expertise – apprenticeships ought to be seen as an important software for each workforce planning and other people growth.

Furthermore, providing an apprenticeship programme can create new channels to construct and entice a extra numerous expertise pool. Whether or not it’s full-time carers, the long-term economically inactive or current graduates seeking to enter/re-enter the workforce, an apprenticeship can create a chance for these candidates who might by no means have utilized for a job as a consequence of their lack of direct expertise or conventional {qualifications}.

Boosting workers retention

One of many largest challenges for companies dealing with financial headwinds and rising operational prices, is the knock-on affect on workers, who could also be dealing with short-term wage stagnation and, consequently, looking for different employment at competitor organisations. This creates additional unfillable vacancies and might ship a major blow to a enterprise’ productiveness.

Apprenticeships are a good way to deal with these challenges, equipping workers with new expertise and offering them with a pathway to promotion, strengthening the enterprise’ credentials as a supportive employer throughout tough financial occasions. For instance, if a enterprise is wanting workers in center administration, as an alternative of in search of expertise externally in a tough labour market, and doubtlessly hiring somebody much less expert than desired – an apprenticeship programme would permit current workers to retrain for promotion. This may unlock potential that already exists within the present workforce whereas boosting worker morale.

Closing ideas

Via apprenticeships, creating the talents of your workers is not going to solely assist enhance enterprise resilience by creating a various, multi-talented workforce, however it should additionally assist with workers motivation and retention. By offering workers with the chance to upskill, retrain for promotion, or switch to different areas of the enterprise, companies can present a powerful dedication to their progress and growth.

Though skilled apprenticeship programmes received’t be the reply to all enterprise wants and challenges, they’ll present a superb resolution to many vital issues. It might act as a workforce planning software to shut expertise gaps tailor-made to the necessities of what companies have to supply, increase expertise retention, and create a extra numerous expertise pool.

Apprenticeships also can create a extremely resilient workforce important to gasoline enterprise development and seize new alternatives for growth throughout occasions when organisations may have it probably the most.