3aaa Apprenticeship
Tuesday 15th May 2018
Benefits of recruiting a school leaver and their potential impact on a business – Luke Culling, Head of Engagement at 3aaa Apprenticeships
There are many clichés out there around why organisations should recruit young people into their businesses. The following piece is written to support that and I hope will be thought provoking when it comes to recruiting Apprentices into your organisation.
When? Now. What are you waiting for?
If you are serious about recruiting young people into your organisation through Apprenticeship Schemes, its time to act and act fast! Young people currently studying towards their GCSEs or FE studies will all be actively looking for the ‘Next Step’ whether that be an application for an Apprenticeship, College or University. Between February and Mid-August 10’s of thousands of young people will be looking for all of the above.
Are you advertising now?
Even if you are looking to recruit for June/July start dates, you need to be active now. As a training provider, we see spikes in Applications at various times of year, and March to August is our busiest time. This doesn’t mean you can’t/shouldn’t recruit at other times of the year, but I am sure you all know people who have started a College or Sixth Form course and found it wasn’t for them. These young people still need to be in education until the age of 18 (legally, don’t you know), so will be seeking opportunities all year round.
Why?
Young People aged 16-18 still need educating about the options available to them. So many of our next generation still aren’t aware that they are able to complete a degree as an Apprentice! (Did you know that?)
You can help?
Employing someone in the 16-18 bracket gives you the opportunity to nurture them, develop their skills to match exactly what your business needs. Expose them to more each day, it is key to build trust with any new employee and trust is a 2-way street, we all make mistakes, regardless of age, so educating and supporting them throughout is vital.
This generation have grown up in a world of technology. From mobile phones to iPads, Facebook to Instagram and Snapchat. I remember getting my first phone at the tender age of 14, it was a Sony Ericsson (flip phone by the way) and I thought I was cool! We had a PC at home that the family shared, we had to unplug the landline to access the internet, oh the wonders of an Ethernet Cable!
The Evolution of Technology, are you equipped?
If not, then who better to help bring you into the 21st Century? Young people today have grown up in a world of technology, both in education and at home. They could be a vital addition to your business by helping to support all areas, not just the IT or Marketing function, and bring new valuable ideas and thoughts of how to engage both current and new clientele. Having attended hundreds of careers events, delivered numerous sector specific talks and assemblies. I have first-hand experience of just how hungry young people are to build a career in an industry they are genuinely passionate about. Those IT masters of the future are already learning to code in their own time, building gaming PCs to the spec that they want, rather than spending thousands on pre-built systems
If you were asked as a Director, CEO, MD or Business Owner, what does our succession plan look like?
Would you be able to answer with confidence:- Who is going to be the next Head of IT?
- Who are our future leaders/managers?
- Who looks after our Marketing? Are you utilising the wonders of Social Media to elevate your business to a new and modern crowd?
- What is the average age of employees in your business?
However, does it include young people that are out there determined and hungry to build a career in the industry you work in?
Do you remember the person who gave you your 1st opportunity, to work in the ‘Real World’?
I do, and it was on a voluntary basis to begin with. Working with vulnerable Young People who ran the risk of being excluded from school, social exclusion and were already involved in Anti-Social Behaviour. These young people were already known by the local police and not for the right reasons.
I was 18 years old when I started volunteering with the National Charity NACRO, in Braintree (don’t hold the fact I am from Essex against me). This experience exposed me to an industry that I have unrivalled passion for. An opportunity to work (albeit voluntarily) that allowed me to have a positive impact on Young Peoples Lives. So you could say that it has stuck with me throughout my career. I’m still here changing Lives in the job I do now almost 20 years later.
Can you remember how old you were when you broke in your industry? When you started your own business? Are you in a position to change the life of a young person?
As previously mentioned, every Year 11 student is currently focussing on their GCSE’s but will be preparing for life after secondary education, thousands of them will be considering an Apprenticeship. If you can commit your time, support and training alongside a national recognised qualification, why not give look in to employing an Apprentice.