Apprentices add value and offer huge opportunities for employers
REPRESENTATIVES from 50 firms across the region heard how there has never been a better time for businesses to take on apprentices.
TheBusinessDesk.com teamed up with the National Apprenticeship Service for a seminar to kick off National Apprenticeship Week in Yorkshire.
The first of 50 events to be held in the region this week, the seminar at The Royal Armouries in Leeds heard from an employer and two ex-apprentices as well as Anthony Knowles, head of employer accounts at NAS.
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Mr Knowles said that a new £1,500 Government grant was another reason why businesses should take on apprentices.
“In Yorkshire this year 60,000 apprentices will be taken on in 280 different apprenticeships. And 72% of businesses reported seeing increased productivity after taking on an apprentice,” he said.
David Lloyd, group managing director at Matthews Brand Solutions in Leeds, said how apprentices bring both financial and cultural benefits to businesses.
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Matthews is a US-owned group that operates for blue chip clients across the world providing graphic design and digital content.
“We asked two of our apprentices to take on a project for a client in Eastern Europe involving photo-realistic 3D packaging. That made more money for us in two months than they would cost to employ for two years.
“Our apprentices have been able to help us introduce gaming technology into a commercial environment. Providing you engage with the process, apprentices will bring any business significant financial and cultural benefits.”
The event also heard from ex-apprentices Bethany Wilson and Sam Ward.
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Bethany is a transport planning technician at CH2M Hill in Leeds and has worked on highways and park and ride schemes in Yorkshire and around the UK while Sam is a development plant technician with confectionery giant Nestle in York.
For more details on apprenticeships and National Apprenticeship Week go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150600
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