With the much anticipated Apprenticeship Levy having been officially launched in April, the subject of entry-level talent is more prominent than ever. And that\u2019s no bad thing.<\/p>\n
This is by far the most radical departure from traditional government policy and it is policy that is here to stay for at least the next 20-30 years. The old days of the annual dance of negotiating with the treasury to see how much has been (or can be) allocated to a \u2018skills funding\u2019 kitty for that fiscal period are gone.<\/p>\n
I am genuinely thrilled about the measures being put in place to help businesses grow and develop their employees, allowing people at all levels to enjoy rewarding, fruitful careers. The issue comes when we start trying to compare apprentices and graduates \u2013 which is the most valuable? A degree or an apprenticeship \u2013 what is best? The way I see it, these \u2018labels\u2019 are almost interchangeable. Ultimately, a business is made up of people; not labeled products that can be slotted on to a shelf neatly! It\u2019s about understanding the value they can add\u2026<\/p>\n
Until around twenty years ago, school leavers were encouraged to secure apprenticeships or vocational training of some kind. Then, the focus changed and school leavers have since been relentlessly funnelled into Higher Education.<\/p>\n
Now, with the rising cost of university fees, more and more students are considering pursuing vocational pathways. It\u2019s important to not get confused by the labels. Apprentices and graduates are, for all intents and purposes, the same people, but the \u2018apprentices\u2019 of today just happen to have a degree. And the \u2018new wave\u2019 of apprentices are filling the void that the graduate shift left.<\/p>\n
The question businesses should really be asking is not \u2018do we want a graduate or an apprentice?\u2019 but \u2018what does our business need now? In three years? And in five years, ten years\u2019 time?\u2019<\/p>\n
Additionally, the vernacular needs to change. We should no longer talk of apprentices. \u2018Apprenticeships\u2019 can be offered at all stages and experience levels within a business from entry level through to Director level.<\/p>\n
Businesses need to think about people and the roles where they need to attract and develop talent to continue to drive their businesses forward, developing a robust and sustainable succession \u2018proofing\u2019 strategy and not distil it down to a series of labeled roles.<\/p>\n
We have always adopted the \u2018reverse engineer\u2019 approach. We always ask our clients to think about the true succession of people they hire in part, so they are also thinking about the development needs from the outset that will enable their new recruits to flourish. \u2018Where do the people you are recruiting NOW, need to be in 3 years\u2019 time?\u2019 Depending upon their answer, we will consider the skills required for this \u2018projected\u2019 role and source similar skills or hints of these skills in the candidates we speak with. With entry-level talent, it is likely that these skills won\u2019t be fully realized yet, but we spot the potential now and then support their development. Equally, experience is a bi-product of having a job. Sadly there are plenty of \u2018experienced\u2019 people who don\u2019t deliver and just because they are experienced does not suggest they are devoid of the need for development. We never stop learning and we should \u2013 \u2018never stop learning\u2019!<\/p>\n
If we are to return to the question of graduates or<\/em> apprentices, my response would be\u2026 take both! Both graduates and apprentices have a wealth of different skills to offer and if we combine these skills and encourage the sharing of knowledge between the two camps, the impact these individuals could have on a business is boundless.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s not a question of \u2018either or\u2019 or the one \u2018versus\u2019 the other – a combination is the way forward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n