If you find yourself needing additional help as a business, you might want to consider hiring an apprentice. A lot of industries utilise apprentices as a way to boost productivity in the workplace and lighten the workload, whilst giving someone the chance to work in the industry. Apprenticeships are mutually beneficial; you gain an extra employee to assist with a range of tasks, whilst they receive training to go alongside their apprenticeship.
Why Hire an Apprentice?
There are a number of benefits that come with hiring an apprentice, which is why it’s a route a lot of businesses take when they need additional help. It’s a lot cheaper to hire an apprentice, making them a good investment; you can enjoy the benefits of an extra pair of hands, without breaking the bank. You will also have the opportunity to kickstart someone’s future career in the industry. A lot of apprentices work for the same company for many years, so training and moulding them with long term employment in mind is always a possibility.
What You Should Know Before Hiring an Apprentice
Though hiring an apprentice does have a lot of obvious benefits, there are some downsides to consider. For example, an apprentice will be low skilled and they will lack experience. This means that you will need to spend some time managing, training and guiding them. An apprentice will also need to dedicate time to completing their course, which could limit how much time they can spend being productive in the workplace.
What Roles Could I Hire an Apprentice For?
As apprentices are low skilled and lacking experience, they are ideal for entry level roles. There are a range of roles that an apprentice could cover, in a variety of industries. You could hire an apprentice to be a trainee electrician or builder, or you could take one on to assist in a salon whilst they are training to become a hairdresser. An apprentice tends to take on roles that require very little training and experience, as a lot of learning is done on the job.
How to Hire an Apprentice
You can hire an apprentice using the government’s apprenticeship service, which allows businesses to access apprentice training to meet your business needs. This could be to fill a skills gap or to boost your productivity. Your apprentice must be over the age of 16 by the end of the summer holidays, not in full time education and the role must be relevant to their apprenticeship. You must also allow them to work enough paid hours each week to undertake the training needed to achieve their apprenticeship.
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