Feeling indecisive about bringing on an apprentice into your industry? In today’s dynamic world, we are experiencing a massive shortage of skilled workers in the Trades Industry. Many organizations are hesitant to sponsor an apprentice as the process is time consuming and requires resources that may not be available. However, apprentices are vital to the future success of the trades industry especially for Mechanic Shops, HVAC Companies and Manufacturing Facilities that require Millwrights..
As retirement approaches for older trades persons and new technology emerges into industries, it is critical organizations begin to forecast their staff for the future of their company success. It is important to invest in the future now, rather than wait until it is too late. If I were to ask you how many employees are leaving your institution within the next 10 years, what would that number look like? At a minimum, an apprenticeship takes 2 years to complete – depending on the field and type of license. By having an apprenticeship programme and taking the time to train new candidates in the field, your company may be set up for success indefinitely for many generations to come.
5 BENEFITS OF APPRENTICESHIPS FOR EMPLOYERS:
- Recruiting and Retaining New Talent – When companies are struggling to find the talent they need or have a lack of new ideas, a young apprentice can often bring new ideas to the table. Apprentices have a lot of potential when given the right tools, and with a great mentor are set up for success when paired with a great work culture. It is often found that participants in an apprentice program develop a high level of loyalty to the company that hired them, ultimately leading to a stable workforce.
- Filling Skill Gaps – when companies are struggling to fill specific skill gaps in certain areas of the company, by having an apprenticeship programme focused on specific skills, these skillsets can be developed rather than recruiting for them. Having training that is tailored to the needs of your business ensures that the candidate understands the needs of the company and how those particular skills can contribute to company success. There is a significant difference between having a skill and understanding how to efficiently utilize it to maximize productivity in a unique workplace.
- Retain existing staff – It is very possible that the current staff you have may be looking to further develop their skills. By offering an apprentice programme, those valued employees do not have to look elsewhere and can continue their employment while learning at their current organization.
- Learning in the Workplace – Learning is easy for apprentices because they have a great amount of passion for what they are doing. They are typically very enthusiastic and engaging which ensures they are meeting the challenges of evolving technologies within the industry. An apprenticeship programme allows you to have within your company a talent pool of experienced employees to better plan to meet future workforce needs.
- Available Funding – At a glance, financially apprenticeship programs may seem like a waste of money or organizations may not want to utilize their resources to fund a new program. However, there are many government grants that are available to support companies in their efforts to bring on these candidates – includes federal, provincial or state grants. Additionally, long-term it saves the costs of recruitment.
Information obtained from:
Seven reasons why you should use apprentices in your business | face2faceHR#
Why Your Company Should Have an Apprenticeship Program | Acuity
Employer Benefits of Apprenticeship (gov.on.ca)
