3aaa Apprenticeship
Friday 20th January 2017
London-based businesses have always been a difficult demographic to target for the Apprenticeship industry and still, one third of these companies favor university degrees over diplomas and other qualifications earned in the workplace. This is drastically more than anywhere else in the UK and it is exemplar of ‘stone age’ thinking.
This negative misconception is also reflected in the general population with only 14 per cent of parents thinking that an Apprenticeship is the best route for their children to start a career, compared to the national average of 37 per cent.
In addition to parents not believing in Apprenticeships, 62 per cent of parents in London thought that University degrees were more valuable than Apprenticeships, compared to the national average of 42 per cent.
It is still evident that Apprenticeships are facing an image issue within the capital and this is something the Kings Cross 3aaa Apprenticeship Academy are working tirelessly to rectify.
We have spent the past 3 years supporting over 100 young people to successfully start their lifelong career with an Apprenticeship. 3aaa Apprenticeships are also spreading the word that Apprenticeships actually put the young person in a better position because they gain experience of the workplace whilst not obtaining any debt, often associated with University tuition.
The Apprenticeship makes the individual more beneficial to the employer as they gain tailored skills that are relevant to their business needs. Not only this, but graduate schemes usually come to an end after 12 months, which can leave the candidate without employment or have the company face paying a huge pay increase to a member of staff they barely know.
On the flip-side, a second year Apprenticeship continues the persons learning throughout their employment and give them the opportunity to develop their skills. The other benefit to hiring Apprentices is the cost saving aspect. The minimum Apprentice wage is currently £3.40 per hour and increases to national minimum wage after the first year of the Apprenticeship.
Sarah Tomlinson, Academy Manager for the 3aaa Apprenticeships Kings Cross added: “We currently find it hugely problematic to educate employers based in London what Apprenticeships can offer, to both themselves commercially, and the young person on an individual basis. There is a focus placed on the University route with no real alternative route appreciated by Employers until they are fully educated on the Apprenticeship offer. We have worked with over 100 employers since opening our Kings Cross academy and 43 per cent of these have offered opportunities to young people in Technology. We are starting to make an impact on the Capital’s misconceptions, but there is definitely still a long way to go.”
If you would like to get a better understanding of Apprenticeships and look into how you can best tailor your staff development to be beneficial to your business for the long run, arrange a consultancy with one of our London-based Recruitment Executives today, telephone: 02072 780 636 or email: applykingscross@3aaa.co.uk