Three brilliant reasons to upskill your workforce with Apprenticeships

At ACT, Wales’ leading training provider, every week is National Apprenticeship Week. Throughout the year we focus on celebrating our fully-funded Apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy in Wales.

Apprenticeships are excellent for helping businesses grow as well as engaging employees and nurturing the skilled workforce needed for the future. Companies of all sizes and sectors are investing in Apprenticeships, from big corporations like DS Smith, to successful small businesses like the Early Bird Bakery in Cardiff.

With an ever-changing business landscape, it’s more important than ever to fill skills gaps, motivate your workforce and retain productive, qualified employees.

There are hundreds of reasons why you should consider an Apprenticeship for you and your business, but here are our top three reasons why upskilling your current workforce with Apprenticeships is the way to go:

Apprenticeships increase productivity

A highly skilled workforce is more productive one, with Apprenticeships contributing an estimated gross productivity gain of £2.4billion to the UK economy (CEBR, 2013). As higher trained staff are more able to execute tasks efficiently, they will produce higher quality work whilst also reducing business costs. Skills learnt on an Apprenticeship will increase your employee’s ability to do their job, enhancing their performance and ultimately your bottom line. The more skilled your employees become, the bigger impact they can have on your business.

Apprenticeships create and retain loyal employees

People are the key to a successful business. Investing in staff training will let your employees know that you value them enough to invest in their future. Equip them with new skills through an Apprenticeship to empower them and acknowledge their worth in your business, thus motivating them to work harder for you and inspiring loyalty in them too; 92% of companies who invest in Apprentices reported a significant increase in employee motivation. Additionally, 80% of companies who invest in Apprentices reported a significant increase in employee retention.

St Aubin has over 30 Apprentices pursuing programmes from Level 2 to 5 in Childcare Learning and Development. Sue Shepherd Evans said: “We have worked hard to invest in the abilities of our team, helping each person to grow a wide range of skills. It has been worth every effort. Many of our staff members have remained with us for very long periods of time, and we know that this is down to the training and support that we provide.”

Apprenticeships save you money

Did you know that all our Apprenticeships are fully-funded through the Welsh Government? We access the funding so your business doesn’t have to pay a penny! And if you’re paying into the Apprenticeship levy, now is the best time to make the most of it and hire an Apprentice.

By upskilling existing staff, you can slash the cost of recruiting someone new to bring fresh ideas and specialist skills into your business, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.

So the question is, can you afford not to upskill your workforce? Visit www.acttraining.org.uk/employers to find out more.