Sam Hyams argues that now is the right time for businesses to promote apprenticeships and invest in their junior workforce as a way of future proofing success
After such an unpredictable and turbulent year, it's no surprise that school-leavers are feeling worried and concerned about their future. When we recently surveyed more than 1,000 young people across the UK, more than half stated that they felt nervous about their future career prospects and a further 20% said they were outright scared.
Clearly, the UK economy has been dealt a series of significant blows and almost no business in the country has remained unaffected by the ramifications of COVID-19. So it might seem counterintuitive to suggest now is the time for firms to ramp up their apprenticeship recruitment plans.
But taking the time to invest in your junior workforce is - and always has been - a brilliant way to help future-proof the success of your organisation. Firms that bolster opportunities for young people quickly find that they’ve built an efficient and dedicated workforce, not to mention playing their part in helping the UK to avoid a serious skills shortage in years to come. Taking on fresh, young talent also leads to a rich and diverse workforce - school leavers often bring with them a thirst to learn and develop, as well as the desire to grow with an organisation - which in turn helps build a more collaborative and well-rounded team.
We are speaking to hundreds of students every day who are having to radically rethink their next steps.
Apprenticeships provide a clear path to long-term employment for young people, and do so without the pressure of tuition fees and student debt that accompany other forms of traditional higher education. They are also vital in giving young people the chance to gain on-the-job, practical experience in specialist sectors and industries where the onus is on technical skills and expertise. The more we are able to fuel these industries by encouraging young talent to pursue careers within them, the more we are able to ensure the UK economy is protected long-term.
From the GCSE and A-level algorithm debacle, to the struggles brought on by remote learning, we are speaking to hundreds of students every day who are having to radically rethink their next steps after unexpected grades, missed places at university and an increasing skepticism about the job market.
While this is undoubtedly concerning, it nevertheless presents a new opportunity for businesses to reach a broad pool of skilled, talented and ambitious young peoples, many of whom will not have considered an apprenticeship before. And with increasing government support for firms offering on-the-job training programmes, it’s another timely reason for apprenticeships to become a priority for British firms.
At Springpod, we work with a number of major UK organisations to help them establish a pipeline of talent for their apprenticeship programmes - from Accenture and Network Rail, to Nestle and AstraZeneca. We have a network of more than 75,000 students that regularly use our platform to seek new opportunities and learn more about potential careers - and in the wake of the pandemic, that number is rapidly growing.
One of our most popular and effective apprenticeship recruitment tools is our virtual careers fairs, where employers and candidates can meet via video links and share information about their organisations through recorded content. Meeting physically isn't exactly easy at the moment, but with digital tools like this employers are still able to promote their apprenticeship offerings and reach the right candidates, without having to travel to schools and universities - saving time and money in the process.
The economic pressures we are all facing are unlikely to abate in the near-time, but there are still measures we can put in place to limit the long term ramifications of the pandemic. Now is the time for the government, businesses and educational institutes to come together and ensure that apprenticeships are better promoted and positioned as a viable and promising career path for young people.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Prospects/Jisc
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