Thousands of companies are turning to apprentices to help them grow their business as a cost-effective way, especially with small organisations with limited budgets. In a recent Government survey 78% of businesses with apprentices reported an increase in productivity.

Apprentices can benefit businesses of all sizes, but they can be particularly effective for small and medium sized organisations. Peter Robertson, Head of Business Development at Education Partnership North East says: “Apprentices offer a great opportunity for businesses to grow. Apprentices can free up time, leaving business owners to concentrate on developing their business.

“It’s a bit of a myth that apprentices come in without existing skills, most of the apprentices we train have strong transferable skills before they start their apprenticeship, so they really do hit the ground running.”

Quality and software advisory organisation for education Mesma, now employ a number of apprentices in a variety of roles. Louise Doyle, Managing Director said: “I’m a real advocate of apprenticeships, they offer a great way to grow your organisation. Our apprentices bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to our business. Evan, our sales executive apprentice really supported us to develop our business sales model. I’d recommend employers looking to recruit to consider whether an apprentice could be a good fit for them.”

Rob Muncaster has an electrical services business in Sunderland and said: “We have always been pro-active in recruiting apprentices, traditionally it’s the best way for people to learn a trade and it’s a great way for us to grow our own talent. Two of our current team started off as electrical installation apprentices who we’ve since kept on as full-time employees. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to do the same with our current apprentice.”

Peter Robertson added: “‘Apprenticeships have evolved massively over the last few years and more and more businesses are recognising that hiring an apprentice can support them to grow their business. Taking on an apprentice can be daunting for an employer, so we offer a full start to end recruitment service, free of charge, ensuring they that get the right candidate.”

Full Circle Food Project, a registered charity based in Ashington that works with local communities to support people to grow, cook and eat healthily, recently recruited Luke, an EPNE apprentice in Multi-Channel Marketing, after approaching the college group asking if they could be supported in recruiting an apprentice to help them promote what they do.

Michelle Brannigan, CEO at Full Circle Food Project said: “From our initial contact with the College their support has been exceptional. They took the time to understand our organisation and our specific requirements for an apprentice, enabling them to recommend a suitable programme tailored to our needs.

“Throughout the process, they provided guidance every step of the way, responding promptly to our queries. This responsiveness has significantly enhanced our efficiency and alleviated the challenges and uncertainties of embarking on our first apprenticeship programme.”

To find out how an apprentice can support your business to grow contact us here – https://educationpartnershipne.ac.uk/contact-us/

Why Education Partnership North East (EPNE)?

Highly commended - Employer of the Year, Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards 2019

Engagement with Employers - Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Award 2017

(Sunderland College On-programme Survey 2017)

Selected by DfE for 2021 T Level pilot to deliver the new high-quality technical qualifications.

98% overall employer satisfaction - Employer Survey 2018/19