A Staffordshire organisation, which campaigns to promote apprentices to workplaces, has been explaining to companies why the summer is an ideal time to take them on.
Kevin Davis, chairman of Ladder for Staffordshire, said that with schools now closed and with some school leavers undecided about what to do next, the marketplace is vibrant for offering apprenticeships.
Kevin, who is also Chief Executive of the Vine Trust Group, said: “Taking on an apprentice comes with plenty of exciting benefits for businesses and can help them fill skills gaps.
“There are a huge variety of standards to choose from, each designed to set out the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for an occupation.
“This means they’re responsive to the wants and needs of organisations – both now and in the future.
“Apprenticeships aren’t only suitable for bringing in new employees – they are also ideal to help businesses to upskill or retrain existing employees, of any age, and at any level.”
Mr Davis said that apprenticeships are available from Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) right through to Levels 6 and 7 (equivalent to a bachelor’s or master’s degree), and some may also offer additional professional qualifications, such as Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).
He added: “The important thing is that the apprentice will develop new skills to help them succeed in their chosen occupation.”
His comments come as results for the 2022/23 year show that under 19s accounted for 24.8% of the overall number of people starting their apprenticeships.
Advanced apprenticeships accounted for 43.2% of starts (119,170) whilst higher apprenticeships accounted for 34% of starts (93,970), a 6.1% increase on the previous year.
