Apprenticeships: The solution to the Great Resignation?

After a year that saw workers around the world quit their jobs in record numbers, employers are recognising the value of investing in their teams.

In fact, UK job moves hit a record high of 988,000 in the final three months of 2021, which shows how businesses can no longer rely on a steady stream of job candidates. Today’s employees want to feel a sense of purpose in their work, they want to try new things, to upskill and reskill and to have their value recognized.

And, as well as retaining talent, employers clearly have much to gain from boosting the skills of their current workforce.

Yet while many businesses recognize the value in supporting the professional development of their staff – an in attracting top talent into their sector – knowing where to start can prove a daunting prospect.

Apprenticeships are one of the best ways for businesses to nurture continual learning, helping to unlock skills quickly and fast-track staff into positions where they can provide real value, whether they’re new to your team or in a leadership position and want to progress further.

Don’t let misconceptions hold you back

Common misconceptions might prevent both employers and individuals from considering apprenticeships as an option. For example, it’s often perceived that apprenticeships are paid poorly and offer limited career opportunities, but that simply isn’t the case.

Similarly, apprenticeships have traditionally been viewed as an option for school leavers just about to embark on their working lives. But there’s no age limit. Apprenticeships are an ideal way for people at any stage to reskill or to build on the skills they already have.

This is a powerful future-proofing tool for businesses when it comes to nurturing top talent and giving your leadership team the edge. A degree-level apprenticeship is a great opportunity for those in management and leadership positions wanting to refine and build on their experience even further.

In fact, more and more businesses are realising that age shouldn’t be a limiting factor when it comes to investing in developing their workforce.

Embrace flexibility

As we continue to embrace flexible ways of working in the wake of the pandemic, the way we approach training should be no exception.

The UK Government is currently reviewing new working patterns for apprenticeships that could allow employers to take a tailored approach to fit the particular needs of their business and their apprentices.

For example, ‘front-loading’ offers focused, intensive training at the start of an apprenticeship, covering all the key skills and knowledge needed in just a few months. Key behaviors and practical skills will continue to be embedded throughout the full apprenticeship programme.

It doesn’t all have to be front-loaded. There are also options to flex the training model to have focused training at other stages of the apprenticeships to reflect the needs of the employer.

For sectors struggling with crippling staff shortages, front-loaded training could prove invaluable in helping apprentices to hit the ground running and make a real contribution to their workplaces from the very start. In addition to this, it can also assist employers if an employee has been promoted early; they are able to front-load the important skills swiftly to support the employee’s transition into a management position.

Also available are ‘accelerated apprenticeships’, which allow an employer to reduce the length of an apprenticeship for individuals who already possess relevant skills and knowledge.

Another training model to consider is ‘flexi-job apprenticeships’, which are designed to ensure that sectors and occupations, where short-term contracts or other non-standard employment models are the norm, can access the benefits of apprenticeships too.

Taking a flexible approach to apprenticeships will open up opportunities to individuals across age groups and levels of experience, giving both them and their employers the chance to focus on the skills they need in a way that suits their particular workforce and sector.

Much has been said about ‘The Great Resignation’ and the pressure this has piled on businesses across a range of sectors. But let’s make 2022 ‘The Year of Retention’ and investing in the training and development of staff is an ideal place to start.