We are halfway through
National Apprenticeship Week, an event which is now in its seventh year which focuses on creating awareness and interest in apprenticeships. Since 2010 1.6 million apprenticeships have been created and according to new research conducted by ICM, almost half (44%) of businesses in the country plan to take on apprentices in the next five years. This compares to 36% employers when asked the same question this time last year.
The study of 600 businesses reports that one fifth of SMEs plan to take on one or more apprentice in the next 12 months alone, with more than a third (37%) of larger businesses planning to do likewise, compared to 15% and 28% respectively in February 2013. In addition, around a third of those companies who plan to take on apprentices say this it is because they are a core part of their growth strategy.
The study also shows how Apprenticeships are growing in popularity. In fact, 43% of employers agree they would be more likely to offer an Apprenticeship than they were two years ago. Of these, nearly two in five said this was because the talent pool had widened as Apprenticeships become more popular, 33% because it had become easier to employ apprentices and 32% because they have more job roles in their business that would suit an apprentice. Overall, 41% of employers agreed that apprentices stay in the business longer than other recruits.
Furthermore, it would appear Apprenticeships are now filtering into supply chain selection criteria. Nearly one in five SMEs and over a third of larger organisations say they have been questioned by clients or prospects about their apprentice recruitment policies.
This finding is mirrored in a supplementary study amongst some of the companies featured in the latest City & Guilds Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers List. Key findings from the bosses surveyed include:
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93% advocate apprentice recruitment through their supply chain
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78% say they would be more likely to choose a supplier or partner if they too offered Apprenticeships, with 18% of these saying apprentice recruitment is already part of their selection criteria
The question you might have is where do I find apprenticeships suitable for chemists? All apprenticeships are listed on www.apprenticeships.org.uk and you can find scientific apprenticeships under the
section. There is also a specific page for
in reforming the standards around Apprenticeships. You can find out more about what the Royal Society of Chemistry is doing
