This week is Apprenticeship Week and, in keeping with the occasion, the Government has announced 21,000 new apprenticeships across the public sector.
More than eight out of 10 employers (81%) with apprenticeship schemes think apprentices have generated higher productivity in their business, according to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), two thirds (66%) say apprentices make them more competitive and 82% rely on apprenticeship schemes to give them the skilled workers they need for the future.
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, welcomed the Government's announcement. "As well as encouraging employers to take on apprentices, it is good to see the Government practising what it preaches and taking on trainees across the public sector too," he said.
The LSC survey shows 92% of employers think apprenticeships resulted in greater employee motivation and job satisfaction.
Commenting on the findings Tesco's head of UK resourcing, Lorna Bryson, said: "Apprenticeships allow us to provide great training and development to our staff, helping them to recognise their long-term career goals, half of our 2006/07 apprentices have progressed to become managers or team leaders. And Tesco benefits too by having hard- working, dedicated and talented individuals who are confident and satisfied in their roles."
David Fairhurst, senior vice-president and chief people officer for McDonald's in the UK and Northern Europe, added: "Apprenticeships will help give our employees the confidence and competence to do their jobs to the best of their ability, thus delivering an even better service to our customers. In the past three years, we have seen a 10% uplift in the confidence of our people and offering nationally recognised qualifications has played a key part in this.
"It is not just our people and our business that will benefit. Apprenticeships are also good news for the wider economy. They enable those who use a job at McDonald's as a stepping-stone to another career to move on to their next job with a valuable, transferable qualification that helps them hit the ground running."
Good news for apprentices: employers are taking on more of them
The recession is having a positive effect on apprentices, with one in five employers hiring more apprentices to help them through the tough economic climate.
