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Using apprenticeships to upskill staff can help motivate them and assist in career progression whilst also helping to futureproof your business .
There are currently 697 apprenticeship standards approved for delivery and potential standards for use by employers which can help people of all ages pursue a great career and provide organisations with skilled , bespoke talent .
Locally , Bath College currently offers apprenticeships across 14 different sectors including business and professional apprenticeships , such as administration , customer service and accountancy .
Its apprenticeships range from Level 2 ( GCSE level ) to Level 5 ( foundation degree level ), and they have advantages for both employers and students alike .
Mike Wood ( pictured above ), Business Development Manager for Bath College , explained , “ For an employer , one of the benefits is that if an apprentice is aged 16 -18 then they [ the employer ] will get a bursary from the government of £ 1000 .
“ If the company is a smaller company and the apprentice is 18 or under then the course is fully funded . If they are over 19 the government pays for 95 % of the apprenticeship and the company only needs to pay a small 5 % contribution .
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“ From the point of view of the apprentice - although the apprenticeship salary isn ’ t the best , they are getting industry experience whilst gaining a qualification for free – and being paid at the same time .”
In addition to Bath College being a training provider i . e ., running apprenticeships , it also has apprentices working at the college . This includes a Level 5 teaching qualification and a business administration qualification . The college is also currently recruiting for a digital marketing apprentice .
Kelly Vaughan-Watkins ( pictured above ), who is doing her Level 5 teaching apprenticeship at Bath College , said ,“ It ' s allowed me to learn alongside peers while also gaining experience on the job which makes everything I learn in the classroom relatable . I get to experience teaching , learn and analyse it and share the good and the bad with people in the same position .
“ It means I can continue to progress my own education while earning money and maintaining a healthy work / life balance , and it has allowed me to retrain later in life .”
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Bath ' s Royal United Hospital ( RUH ) NHS Foundation Trust is also a local apprenticeship employer . Since introducing apprenticeships in 2017 , RUH has supported hundreds of people to progress their careers in healthcare .
Currently , there are over 230 people who are combining paid work , practical training and study in a range of clinical and non-clinical roles at the hospital , and many are doing it via apprenticeships run by Bath College .
Hugh McKinney ( pictured above ), Learning and Development Lead at RUH , said , “ We work with Bath College to provide some of our apprenticeships as it is close to the Hospital for our staff to attend their training days .
“ We have observed that our apprentices tend to be committed to the Trust , because they feel valued that they are being developed . Apprenticeships offer us the opportunity to fill current or predicted skills shortages by growing our own talent inhouse and train staff in the specific areas in which we feel resource is needed the most .”
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Hugh added ,“ Those who invest in their apprenticeships programme are more likely to be viewed as forward-thinking organisations which invest in staff development .”
Nicky , Estates Officer ( Operations ) at the hospital , currently has around six apprentices doing their training through Bath College .
She said , “ Apprenticeships are a really good resource for learning on the job in real-time , it is a gateway into the working environment , which can be daunting at times for all ages . Apprenticeships are tailored specifically to a particular discipline and there are units and modules which can be adapted to suit your learning needs along the way . Also , an apprenticeship opens up many opportunities and you are able to experience aspects of the discipline you train in from all sides . Plus , you get paid to learn !”
But the benefits aren ’ t just for the students . Nicky continued , “ Apprenticeships are a great resource for your team to use to help build resilience for future planning . They are a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated , skilled and qualified workforce .”
Doug Mackenzie has been completing an engineering apprenticeship at the RUH since 2018 .
He said ,“ The hands-on experience I ’ ve gained working with the team here at the RUH has been great . I ’ ve learnt so much and I ’ m really happy with how far I ’ ve come .”
Anyone wanting to learn more about having an apprentice in their workplace should contact Bath College by emailing : Michael . Wood @ bathcollege . ac . uk
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2022 17 |