Apprenticeship service

Apprenticeships can support the health sector by offering a route for employers to develop new talent. Apprenticeships ensure that your workforce has the practical skills and qualifications your organisation needs now and in the future.

 Key benefits that Apprenticeships bring to health sector organisations include:

• improved productivity
• improved competitiveness
• committed and competent work-force
• improved career development.

Improve productivity

    

Apprenticeships deliver real returns to your bottom line. In a recent survey*, the majority of employers said that Apprenticeships helped them to improve productivity and to be more competitive. They also said that training apprentices is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.
* Apprenticeships, survey conducted by Populus on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council, February 2009.

There is considerable interest in promoting greater use of apprenticeships within the sector. As a sector, health was the largest employer of apprentices in 2009/10 and there is agreement that the use of apprenticeships can have a positive impact on widening access and supporting the aspirations of a diverse workforce.

Reduce skills gaps

Apprenticeships deliver skills designed around the needs of your organisation. With the wide range of apprenticeship frameworks available you are supported to develop the specialist skills you need to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in your sector.

Motivate the workforce

Apprentices tend to be highly motivated and eager to learn, as well as being loyal to their employer.

Earlier research, conducted in February 2008 by Populus on behalf of the LSC to launch the first National Apprenticeship Week revealed:

• 77% of employers believe apprenticeships make them more competitive 
• 76% say that apprenticeships provide higher overall productivity 
• 80% feel that apprenticeships reduce staff turnover 
• 83% of employers rely on their apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future 
• Two-thirds of respondents believe that their apprenticeship programme helps them fill vacancies more quickly, whilst 88% believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce 
• 59% report that training apprentices is more cost-effective than hiring skilled staff, with 59% believing that apprenticeships lead to lower overall training costs and 53% feeling that they reduce recruitment costs 
• In terms of the return on investment linked to apprenticeships, 41% say that their apprentices make a valuable contribution to the business during their training period, while a further third (33%) report that apprentices add value within their first few weeks (or even from Day One); 
• 57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management positions within the company 
• Over three-quarters of respondents expect apprenticeships to play a bigger part in their recruitment policy in the future.

(Statistics and some information taken from www.apprenticeships.org.uk)