Hiring apprentices 'a wise move' for businesses

For businesses that are looking to sharpen up the skills of their employees in a bid to improve productivity, taking on apprentices could be a good move.

By engineering young people to know a firm inside out and developing the exact qualifications required for that company, apprenticeships are sure to be extremely valuable to employers and more bosses need to realise this fact.

Next week (March 14th), a breakfast seminar is taking place in Manchester that will see the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) team up with Yorkshire news provider TheBusinessDesk to show local organisations how hiring apprentices could advance their future prospects.

Jennie Johnson, founder of nursery chain Kids Allowed, is one of the professionals in the sector set to make an appearance as a panellist at the event, which is being held at the Park Inn by Radisson on Cheetham Hill Road.

While some company owners in the north-west of the UK are beginning to embrace apprenticeships, there are still many that have yet to recognise the potential of emerging talented young people.

Indeed, it was noted by TheBusinessDesk that at present, over 200,000 workplaces in England are recruiting skilled apprentices due to the fact they improve competitiveness and are committed, but this figure should be higher.

Firms need to be aware their training costs will be far lower if they make use of apprenticeships, as valuable education will have been learnt and new employees will already be familiar with the runnings of their organisation.

David Way, chief executive of the NAS, explained apprenticeships are a great way for young people and adults to "earn while they learn" in a real job and gain real qualifications. He added: "For employers, hiring apprentices is a way of attracting new talent and developing a motivated, skilled and diverse workforce."

It seems that more teenagers are willing to show off their talents and becoming apprentices, after recent NAS research revealed more than 267,400 online applications for apprenticeships were logged between November 2012 and January 2013, up 41 per cent from the previous year.