Taking on an apprentice
An apprenticeship is a mixture of work-based learning and study for people aged 16 and upwards.
For the apprentice, apprenticeships are an opportunity to enter into an industry, earn a nationally-recognised qualification, and gain the skills and knowledge that businesses are looking for.
For businesses, apprenticeships are the perfect way to recruit new employees, upskill or retrain your current staff, and develop a skilled workforce tailored to the needs of your business.
Weston College works with over 2,500 businesses and organisations across the country to deliver apprenticeships, which means we recognise and understand your business needs when it comes to assisting your company’s recruitment and training.
97% of the businesses we work with say that they are satisfied with employing a Weston College apprentice, and 90% of our apprentices are offered permanent positions by their employers at the end of their training.
The benefits of employing an apprentice
You can reduce recruitment and training costs for your business.
Recruiting your apprentice will in most cases be done for free by our specialist recruitment team. You’ll be able to specify the type of person you’re interested in recruiting and the skills they should have, and we’ll match your needs with candidates who are interested in working within your business. Find out more about employing your first apprentice…
Develop your own skilled and qualified workforce.
You’ll be able to have a direct input into the way your workforce is trained and the skills and qualifications they have. Through apprenticeships, we can train your ideal employee to your specific requirements from GCSE-level right up to degree-level. This means you can plan the career development of your employees.
Apprentices increase productivity.
On average, an apprentice increases business productivity by £214 per week. 88% of employers say that apprenticeships lead to a more satisfied and motivated workforce.
It’s cheaper than you think.
In many cases, training an apprentice to become your ideal employee is more cost effective than hiring an employee that already has experience. 75% of employers say that apprenticeships have helped them cut their recruitment and training costs.
You can use apprenticeships to train your current workforce.
Apprenticeships are bespoke to your organisation, which means there is a large amount of personalisation available to meet your business needs. Apprenticeships aren’t just for new employees - you can also use them to upskill and retrain your current staff. You can find out more about this option on our Training Courses for Businesses page.
