WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE
How to make apprenticeships a success for your company
Bradford on Avon-based Managed IT Support firm , Systemagic , is an award-winning apprenticeship employer . James Eades , Managing Director , shares his experience and talks with two of the firm ' s current apprentices to get their view of this career pathway .
Taking on the right apprentice can bring many benefits . Including reduced training costs , improved employee retention , greater innovation and developing a pipeline of talent .
With an increasing number of businesses across the country hiring more trainees and junior staff , it ’ s unsurprising that the number of apprentices in the UK jumped by 3.3 per cent between 2021 / 22 .
However , the BBC reported that thousands of youngsters are dropping out of apprenticeships due to poor-quality training .
This shows that some businesses aren ’ t pulling their weight in creating an engaging and supportive environment for apprentices to thrive .
As a company , Systemagic has always been ‘ proapprenticeship ’ and since 1999 , we have seen over 16 apprentices start their careers in IT with us , including Will Barnes , who will be celebrating 10 years at Systemagic next year .
As with any programme , it takes a lot of trial and error to get things right and in the early days , things weren ’ t easy .
We saw the value of apprentices early on , and were determined to make it work once the modern apprenticeship scheme was launched . We ’ re very proud to have won numerous awards for our apprenticeship scheme along the way , including Employer of the Year and Commitment to Apprenticeships .
With National Apprenticeship Week approaching , I decided to sit down with two of our newest apprentices , Sam and Louis , to learn about their experience so far .
SAM LOUIS
WHAT DREW YOU TO OUR APPRENTICESHIP AT SYSTEMAGIC ?
Sam : Systemagic stood out to me because of its high levels of customer service and the level of support and training available to staff .
Louis : I wanted to further develop my IT skills in a hands-on way , and Systemagic could provide the environment for me to do so .
WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT YOUR APPRENTICESHIP SO FAR ?
Sam : I love the feeling of independence when dealing with customers on my own , but also knowing that if I need support , my colleagues are right behind me .
Louis : It has to be the office environment ! It ' s much more fun than a traditional classroom . There ’ s also so much satisfaction in being able to solve problems for other people .
HOW DOES AN APPRENTICESHIP COMPARE TO OTHER FORMS OF EDUCATION YOU HAVE RECEIVED ?
Sam : Systemagic ’ s apprenticeship programme is completely different to studying at college , as you get to learn in a live environment . This has really helped me to develop my skills and confidence .
Louis : The training at Systemagic is far more hands on and engaging than college . I get paid to learn new skills , earn a qualification and solve real IT issues .
Our top tips for a successful apprenticeship scheme
• Design and develop your training plan , don ’ t wing it
• Be prepared to dedicate time , care and resource to their training . Apprentices aren ’ t just cheap resource and you get out what you put in
• Pay a good and fair salary from day one . This helps to attract the best talent which makes life easier for everyone
• Choose your training partner carefully
The ability to develop and grow our own talent in-house has been instrumental to Systemagic ’ s growth in recent years and I ’ m excited to watch our apprentices and young talent continue to develop and grow .
I would encourage every business to consider taking on an apprentice .
For more info : www . systemagic . co . uk
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