Firstly, you need to understand what an apprentice wants from an employer. Make sure you have good training in place, offer a fair wage and are flexible about the time they take off for study and how their apprenticeship evolves.
Know What Apprentices Want
To be able to offer a competitive apprenticeship you need to understand what apprentices want. Although they are taking a job within your company, they have also chosen this route for the training and opportunity to gain a qualification. You as an employer will need to balance these interests so that they can get the most out of it.
Prepare Good Training
As well as the chance to start working and earn a wage, apprentices are also looking for a good training scheme that help them progress in their job. There is a lot of help and resources out there to guide you through setting up training and you need to take advantage of it. A potential apprentice will want to see that a training scheme supports their work and study and gathers pace as they learn more skills and gain experience.
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You take on an apprentice as an employee, so although they are still training, you need to offer them a reasonable wage. It should reflect industry standards and if you are keen to offer a competitive apprenticeship then it should exceed them.
The same applies to holidays and other benefits. Make it clear what is available. You should also highlight the time you are willing to give apprentices to attend college and study.
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Be Flexible
Apprentices who are looking for a competitive apprenticeship scheme will be keen to see that their employer is flexible.
Whether this is about how much time they have to study, increasing their wages as they progress, or adjusting the training to suit them. As an employer you should be open to change and willing to work with your apprentice to forge a happy relationship.
Be Loud & Proud
There is no point having a competitive apprenticeship in place if nobody knows about it. Make sure that the local jobcentre has all the details and emphasise the points that make your company stand out. The same applies if you are advertising at colleges or in local papers.
Be willing to go and talk to students or appear on the radio talking about the scheme. Also, if you have past apprentices, get them to talk to potential apprentices as word of mouth is the best advert.
To attract the best apprentices who can offer the most to your company, you need to offer a competitive apprenticeship. Think about what candidates are looking for. Make sure you have a structured training plan in place and can offer them a fair wage and benefits.
Be willing to be flexible about time off for study and your apprentice’s progression. Finally, make sure you advertise your scheme well otherwise no-one will ever know that it is competitive.
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