By Andy Smyth, Chair of the City & Guilds Industry Skills Board

Most of the talk when it comes to apprenticeships is about the system and what we should do differently, rather than focussing on the impact that apprenticeships make to individuals and organisations.  The very nature of apprenticeship enables those that are new to an activity to learn and grow in such a way that basically anyone that has an interest can take up the given occupation.  This may sound rather obvious but if we take a little time to think about it, what this really means is that apprenticeships can help us to do more than just train someone to do a job. 

The truth is that if you focus your attraction and positioning strategy correctly, apprenticeships can add much more to your organisation than just another competent worker.  You can use the attraction process to bring in talent from specific demographic groups and use the apprenticeship programme to ensure that they have a fantastic learning experience and stay with your business for the long term.  There is plenty of evidence to support the fact that apprentices are loyal (at one specific Travel Retailer, former apprentices had an average length of service that was 2 years longer than equivalent aged starters, and 56% of store managers were former apprentices), so what better way to make a meaningful impact on your organisational diversity targets than ensuring that once you have talent from your target group, than to make sure that they stay in the business.  As an apprentice, they will be supported and developed, they will be made to feel like they are important and belong, they will be able to have a voice and become part of the networks and teams that operate inside your business.

Another important fact about apprentices is that they climb the internal career ladder and will become your leaders of tomorrow!  To this end it’s really important that when we’re searching for talent that we genuinely think about how well the candidate could perform in the first role, but also to think about what next.  Does this person have a leadership capability that could be nurtured and developed, if yes then you can talk to them about their career in your organisation and not just the first role. 

So, what’s in it for the individuals?  We can have a different conversation that extends beyond the rate of pay and responsibilities of their first role in the business.  You can talk about what benefits and additional extras are available to them if they become a high performer.  You should talk to them about their aspirations and future plans.  Do they want to be a leader? Did they know that your business could make this happen?  This is the opportunity that is open to you as the employer, you can start to have a more meaningful conversation that will enable you to attract and discover higher calibre talent than you even knew existed.

Andy Smyth is the Chair of the City & Guilds Industry Skills Board as well as a leading L&D and talent consultant, currently working with MyKindaFuture to help employers retain and develop their apprenticeship talent, plus evidence the 20% off the job using smart technology. To contact Andy about this article, send an e-mail to: Andy.Smyth@mykindafuture.com

Working together with our hand-picked provider partners, BRC Learning offers high quality leadership and management apprenticeships tailored specifically for the retail industry. Find out more here.