Benefits of the Apprenticeship Programme for Employers
1) They offer a route that enables employers, like yourselves, to harness fresh new talent and develop the skills of local people.

2) Apprenticeships enable employers to become involved in bringing young people into the workforce.

3) Apprenticeships ensure that your current workforce has the practical skills and qualifications that your organisation needs now and in the future.

4) Apprenticeships deliver real returns to your bottom line. In a recent survey (Apprenticeships, survey conducted by Populus on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council, February 2009) most employers said that Apprenticeships helped them to improve productivity and to be more competitive.

5) In the same survey most employers also said that training apprentices is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.

6) Apprenticeships can deliver skills that are designed around your business needs. They can also help you develop the specialist skills that you need to keep pace with latest technology and working practices in your sector.

7) Employers in the Populus survey said that they relied on their apprenticeship programmes to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future.

8) Apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that invested in them. Remember an apprentice is with you because they want to be – they have made an active choice to learn on the job and a commitment to a specific career.

9) 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 apprentices make them more competitive.
• 76% say that apprentices provide higher overall productivity. This figure increased to 81% in the 2009 poll survey.
• 80% of employers feel that apprenticeships reduce staff turnover.
• 83% of employers rely on their apprenticeship programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future.
• Two-thirds of respondents believe that their apprenticeship programme helps fill vacancies quicker.
• 88% believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. (This has increased to 92% in the 2009 survey)
• 59% report that training apprentices is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff.
• 59% believe that apprenticeships lead to lower overall training costs.
• 53% believe that apprenticeships reduce recruitment costs.
• In terms of the return on investment, 41% say that their apprentices make a valuable contribution to the business during their training period, while a further 33% report that apprentices add value within their first few weeks (or even from day 1). Bear in mind that apprentices in the construction and engineering industries take much longer to become productive as compared with those in the support professions and would affect the overall statistics.
• 57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management positions within the company.
• Over 75% of respondents expect apprenticeships to play a bigger part in their recruitment policy in the future.

10) In the 2009 survey 74% of those surveyed believe that apprentices are more loyal because they have been on an apprenticeship.

11) Apprenticeships give existing staff the opportunity to develop their own unique career path to suit their needs and ambitions.
12) Apprenticeships can provide existing staff with the opportunity to develop new skills, whilst enhancing existing skills and receiving a Nationally recognised qualification.

13) Apprenticeships enable staff to lay the foundations for continuing professional development.

14) To summarize, employers who have an apprenticeship programme believe that apprenticeships increase staff morale, productivity and retention.