The National Apprenticeship Service has launched a raft of new measures designed to help guide employers through the process of recruiting an apprentice.

This follows the recent announcement of the extension of the £1500 Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16-24 year olds for another year. The grant, which is designed to help businesses (with less than 1000 employees) to recruit apprentices, has so far enabled over 30,000 young people to start an apprenticeship. 

Two new films, ‘How to hire an apprentice’ and ‘Why hire an apprentice’, have been launched on apprentice.tv to guide employers through the process of recruiting an apprentice. 

The films feature the real stories of employers from Capgemini, SpicerHaart, and Ginger Nut Media who highlight the key steps to hiring an apprentice such as: who to approach in the first instance; the importance of considering business needs; identifying the right training partners, and how to start the recruitment process.

Further developments include:

• The appointment of Jason Holt as an Apprenticeship Ambassador for smaller businesses
• The ‘Find an Apprenticeship Training Organisation’ online search tool for employers, with new provider data to allow employers of all sizes to easily find a local apprenticeship training provider.
• The beta (test version) launch of Av Live a new, official, online tool which shows automatically updated Apprenticeship vacancies, meaning partners and media outlets can easily spread the word about employer’s vacancies.

David Way, Executive Director at the National Apprenticeship Service, said:

“The resources we’re announcing today provide employers with all the information they need in order to hire an apprentice, in an easy to digest format. The film highlights how simple the process can be and the launch of Av Live means employer vacancies will now reach more potential apprentices – at no cost to the employer. We hope all of this additional help will encourage more employers to hire an apprentice and realise how apprenticeships can deliver for their business.”

Chris Saxby of Capgemini, who starred in the film, said:

“It’s important to show other businesses that hiring apprentices is a rewarding process. The rewards for us include a determined and enthusiastic addition to the workforce and they are the potential leaders of the future. We’re enjoying the effect of having apprentices in our business and we will be continuing to hire more apprentices in the future."

Much of this increased support for employers comes about as a result of recommendations made by Jason Holt, the National Apprenticeship Service’s new Apprenticeship Ambassador for smaller businesses.

Jason Holt commented: “Apprenticeships mean businesses can grow their own talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. I’m delighted to be working with the National Apprenticeship Service to ensure that as many employers as possible realise the benefits of hiring an apprentice.”

Harry Simpson of Ginger Nut Media, who also stars in the new apprenticeships films, said: “It’s important to reassure small businesses that hiring apprentices really is an easy process, that support is available and that the rewards of doing so can be fantastic. We’ve seen a great improvement in our business and as a result of hiring apprentices have been able to grow our design and marketing business."

Following Jason Holt’s recommendation that trade associations play a larger role in apprenticeship recruitment by promoting apprenticeships to their members, the first innovative partnership between government and a trade association has been established in the catering industry.

The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA), the Catering Equipment Distributors Association (CEDA) and the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) has committed to securing 75 Apprenticeships among its small and medium sized members.

Other online resources created in response to the Holt review include:

• A dedicated ‘Apprenticeships for Small Businesses’ toolkit
• A large employer toolkit, providing support in delivering and developing a full apprenticeship programme

David Way continued:

“This strengthened support for employers comes at a crucial time. Thousands of young people will be receiving exam results and making decisions about their future career prospects and we would urge all businesses who are thinking of taking on an apprentice in the near future to post their vacancy on Apprenticeship vacancies to take advantage of the huge demand we are expecting over the summer.”

For further information visit apprenticeships.org.uk