Georgie Grogan believes in higher level apprenticeships in business. Here’s why.
Whether you’re employing a new addition to the team, or encouraging an existing employee to take the next step up the career ladder, apprenticeships can offer enormous benefits to an organisation and its employees.
Not only do apprenticeships help equip a workforce with the practical skills and qualifications needed within an organisation, they can also contribute to the productivity, growth and overall success of a business.
Here are five ways a business could benefit by getting on-board with leadership and management apprenticeships:
Career-focused development
Apprenticeships provide a great opportunity for employers to develop, nurture and grow a more qualified workforce aligned to their future strategy. Using a combination of best practice, theory and on-site application, leadership and management capabilities within your business can be improved, so that your people will lead in new and improved ways.
Leadership and management development is a key driver in embedding a culture of innovation into an organisation.
Additionally, they also provide an effective way to ensure the future leaders and managers of your organisation develop the right skills to contribute to the growth and improvement of the business. After all, leadership and management are key to helping businesses achieve sustainability.
Greater innovation
Apprenticeships can help all types of business, big or small, across a range of sectors harness fresh new talent. As apprentices come from a range of diverse backgrounds, from aspiring managers to those with more experience under their belt, new innovative ideas and approaches are often brought to the business which help drive it forward.
Additionally, throughout an apprenticeship, individuals are encouraged to develop creative thinking skills and strategies, enabling them to think outside of the box. Leaders are responsible for the environment they create, they are the role models of the behaviours they want in their teams.
Therefore, it goes without saying that leadership and management development is a key driver in embedding a culture of innovation into an organisation.
Increased staff loyalty and retention
Investing in the development of employees can have a real positive impact on the morale of the workplace. Apprentices have an appetite for development, and when given that opportunity, they are likely to be more eager, motivated and loyal to the company.
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This motivation and positivity from business leaders will cause a radiating effect amongst other employees, meaning the whole business will benefit as a result.
Additionally, offering existing staff the opportunity to develop through a leadership and management apprenticeship demonstrates that you are willing to invest in their future. This can help employees to see their job as a career and prolong their time at the company, increasing retention.
Specific solutions
Leadership and management is a very broad area, and therefore it is important to recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach to training and development isn’t always the best option. Having specific solutions to your training and development needs can bring tangible benefits to a business.
With a leadership and management apprenticeship you have the flexibility to be involved with the design and delivery of the programme. This means the content can be tailored to your exact business requirements, so the apprentices are getting relevant training to develop skills designed around your business needs.
Improved bottom line
Developing staff through apprenticeships can generate a real return on investment for many businesses. Apprenticeships are a great way to grow your team while keeping staff costs down, proving to be more cost effective than hiring skilled staff due to lower overall training and recruitment costs.
Additionally, as staff become better skilled and gain greater understanding of the wider business throughout the programme, confidence and independent thinking will develop. This can contribute to the generation of new ideas and suggestions such as improvements to business processes or strategies.
Which, in turn can have a positive impact on productivity and efficiency in the business, thus reducing costs.
About the author
Georgie Grogan is bid, marketing and sales assistant at Aspire Development. For more information visit www.aspiredevelopment.co.uk.
