At JTL, we know about the misconceptions and worries surrounding taking on an apprentice, in fact, we conducted some research with the trades to find out exactly what the main concerns were. We then spoke to our existing employers to effectively turn those myths into facts, read on to discover the facts
associated with 5 common myths…
No.1: “There isn’t any need for fresh talent in the trades…”
Did you know, in the UK most trades have an aging workforce. There are more older people retiring and leaving the electrical and heating and plumbing trades, than joining it. We really need to attract new talent to the trades to make sure the shortage doesn’t become a skills gap that we can’t fix….
No.2: “It’s not cost effective to take on an apprentice…”
In actual fact, if a small to medium employer takes on a 16-18 year old they will actually receive money back for taking on an apprentice! And the training is free for companies with under 50 staff and those with over you only pay 5% of the training cost. All an employer must meet are the costs of employing the young person.
No.3: “Taking on an apprentice involves too much paperwork…”
JTL will help at every step of taking on an apprentice. That’s from sourcing the right apprentice for your business, relieving you of the headache of the admin when the apprentice starts and on-going throughout the apprenticeship. Differing from some other providers we offer a dedicated JTL Training Officer will be assigned to your apprentice to help both them and you as the employer offering guidance and support throughout.
No.4: “Taking on an apprentice will take up too much of my time…”
Of course taking on an apprentice will involve some of your time and some dedication to make the apprenticeship work best for both your business and the apprentice, but businesses have reported that their earnings have increased after taking on an apprentice – the extra pair of hands can begin to pay for themselves very quickly if you embrace the situation and trust the new recruit to get involved early on. Remember, taking on an apprentice allows you to train that person to work the way you want them to work, to your standards and to meet your businesses specific requirements.
No.5: “Once they achieve their skills, they will leave my business and set up on their own…”
There’s no guarantee that your apprentices will work with your business until they retire! But if you create a good working relationship and give that person opportunities and a career path to improve themselves and take on more responsibility you may be surprised how loyal your apprentice can be. An independent study carried out by the UK Government found that a third of businesses found their apprentices to be more loyal than other members of staff! It’s about giving them reasons to stay and work with you, feel part of your valued team and happy to take responsibility.
We encourage you to think through the benefits of having new talent joining your business in 2019… talk to us at JTL about how we can help you… we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Find out more here.
