Employing apprentices - a guide for employers

A recent survey by the government has revealed that almost half of UK businesses plan to take on apprentices over the next 5 years.

The research, undertaken by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, found that 44% of businesses will look at taking on an apprentice before 2019. Furthermore, the study suggested that taking on apprentices has increased in popularity in recent times, with 20% of SME’s and 37% of larger businesses saying they plan to do so in the next 12 months.

There are pros and cons to taking on apprentices rather than more experienced staff, some of which are outlined below:

You can train apprentices from the start to do things your way. Whilst staff with prior experience may get up to speed quicker, they can come with habits learned from other workplaces, which might not necessarily fit in with your way of practice. Apprentices can be trained to follow your methods and procedures from day one, so you can be sure there is no deviation.

In addition, there are Government funded grants available via the National Apprenticeship Service for small and medium sized businesses (less than 250 employees) employing an apprentice for the first time.

Apprenticeship training schemes involve an aspect of training from an external training organisation/provider. Whilst this is a positive aspect overall, it means that the apprentice is unlikely to be able to work full time hours in the business itself.

When taking on an apprentice, you need to be careful about the type of employment contract that it used. It is not advisable to use standard contracts of employment and instead issue an ‘Apprenticeship Agreement’ (a dedicated type of employment contract that meets requirements specific to apprentices). This is an area employers need to be wary of, and it is advisable to seek specialist advice.

That said, an apprentice can be a very enthusiastic and loyal member of the team and, if nurtured well, bring a boost to more established teams. For more help or advice on employing an apprentice, or indeed recruiting staff in general, please get in touch with us.