Make the Most of Your Apprentice
Today’s apprenticeships are a great way to nurture talent. Not everyone finds the academic route to qualifications works for them, some people learn better by doing than by reading about it – and this is where apprenticeships really come into their own.
As an employer hiring an apprentice can be an excellent way to grow your company.
Apprentices come to you to learn and, if you create the right environment for them, you’ll develop a valuable team member, who can be a real asset to your company long term.
The cost of employing an apprentice is less, not only in salary, but also apprentices under the age of 25 earning less than £50K per annum are not subject to employers contributions for NI.
You’ll lose them for a day a week, in most cases, as they need to do some study to get their qualifications, but they’re usually keen to learn at work, so it’s up to you to help them to have a positive experience.
Speculate to accumulate
Bringing people into your business is an investment – not only financially, but also time-wise.
The biggest mistake that employers make is to bring in a new team member, give them the basics and then leave them to it. With someone experienced this isn’t as big a mistake (although it’s always worth spending time with a new colleague to ensure they get how things are done in your company). However, with an apprentice, you really need to give them lots of support and guidance to ensure they turn into an asset.
The coaching model of ‘I do it fast, I do it slow, you do it too, then off you go*’, is a good teaching method for new skills. And the phrase ‘use it or lose it’ is only too true – if you’re teaching a new skill, make sure that the apprentice has plenty of opportunities to practice.
Scheduled, regular check ins where you can find out how they’re doing and they can ask questions are a good way to keep the communication flowing. Encourage them to ask questions and ensure that they know that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
If you invest the time and effort, your apprentice will turn into a loyal and long-term team member, even after their apprenticeship is completed.
*Show them how to do the task at normal speed. Then slow it down so they can see each step slowly. Get them to do it while you watch and, when you’re satisfied they’ve got it, let them do it on their own.
Get in touch with us today if you have any questions about how you can make the most of your apprentice.
