SWLEP
@ SWLEP
Visit the SWLEP online at : www . swlep . co . uk
Apprenticeships
Sean Ellis , Technical Development Apprentice , Nationwide
Chloe White , Digital Marketing Apprentice at New College , Swindon
Apprenticeships are another great opportunity for both businesses and individuals . They are available to people of all ages . In addition to the apprenticeships that are most well-known for helping school and college-leavers into work whilst gaining a qualification , they can also be used to upskill and or retrain employees of any age as long as the apprenticeship is giving them new skills to enable them to achieve competence in their chosen occupation .
Apprenticeships are available from Level 2 ( GCSE equivalent ) right through to Levels 6 and 7 ( equivalent to a Bachelor ’ s or Master ’ s degree ). Some apprenticeships may also offer additional professional qualifications , such as ACCA . You can check the Institute for Apprenticeships website , which is constantly being updated as new standards become available .
NAME LEVEL EQUIVALENT EDUCATIONAL LEVEL INTERMEDIATE 2 5 GCSE passes ADVANCED 3 2 A level passes
Joe Palmer , Digital Marketing Apprentice , SWLEP
HIGHER 4,5,6 & 7 Foundation degree and above DEGREE 6 & 7 Batchelor ’ s or Master ’ s degree
On-the-job training helps an apprentice develop the specific skills for the workplace and they should be supported by a mentor from within your business .
86 % of employers have said that apprenticeships helped individuals develop skills relevant to their organisation , whist 78 per cent said apprenticeships improved productivity . Other benefits of having apprentices within your workplace can be increasing employee satisfaction , reducing staff turnover and reducing recruitment costs .
For the apprentice , an apprenticeship is a job with substantial training and the development of transferable skills . It ’ s a way to earn and learn , gaining a real qualification , long-term career path and the possibility for long-term higher earnings .
Degree apprenticeships are becoming more popular and ensure that the apprentice still gets to graduate with their cap and gown , but along with several years of work experience and no university debts as they ’ ll have been earning for the length of their apprenticeship with no tuition fees .
Funding support is also available for the employer , and as there are now a myriad of standards to choose from , it is possible to create an apprenticeship programme to meet your specific business and industry requirements .
Further information can be obtained by contacting the National Apprenticeship Service on 0800 015 0600 or Growth Hub Skills on 01225 477287 .
NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK It ’ s National Apprenticeship Week from Monday 8th-Sunday 14th February . Follow the conversation on social media # NAW2021
Moving towards business as usual
In March 2021 , we will be acknowledging the one year anniversary since Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to the nation and announced the first , and deepest , lockdown . Since then , due to the remarkable work by scientists and the pharmaceutical industry , we have begun to benefit from the rollout of vaccines developed in record time . We can also see a high degree of business acumen in the way the UK has planned its investment in vaccine development and also in its strategy to purchase vaccine doses for future use , anticipating annual Covid 19 vaccinations akin to the cycle of the flu jab . During the course of 2021 and perhaps 2022 , we will see ourselves slowly moving from response to the pandemic and crisis towards incorporating strategies into business as usual . For any organisation , this is how radical becomes day to day . When behaviour change is required , we know we have achieved that goal when the “ new ” behaviours become everyday .
At the outset of this health crisis , the impact was immense . We saw many fantastic public gestures of thanks and recognition for the people who were putting their lives on the line to save others . These events helped to show that society is still connected ; we are not a mass of individuals . By nature we are social beings . The energy and emotion of these large public gestures – our initial response to crisis – has now moved into the business as usual and so , to some , is less visible . Volunteering is helping us move further away from crisis and for many people has become part of their everyday experience , their business as usual . The success of the vaccine rollout relies on an expanding core of volunteers , as did the rapid development in the first place .
Some businesses have been in the right sector at the right time and / or made key decisions years previously which has given them a strategic advantage . They are growing at a rapid rate . For most , the Covid effect has been hard and in some cases devastating . Collectively , we are now moving slowly from response , as shown by grants from Government to keep businesses afloat to recovery ; to a new business as usual . Business leaders are learning from the effects of a global pandemic on economic activity and adapting their processes , increasing flexibility and looking to new markets whilst tracking and anticipating changes in customers ’ demands . We can look forward to new ways of working and new ways of interacting between customers and businesses . Our learning from the awful events of the global Covid pandemic will stand us in good stead for a more resilient future .
To get the latest information go to : growthhub . swlep . co . uk
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2021 9