Apprenticeships are key to building a workforce for the future

 Helena Williams, Corporate Development Director of Acorn Learning Solutions at Wales-based award-winning recruitment and training provider Acorn, parent company of Concept Staffing, explains in Apprenticeship Week why apprenticeships are key to building a vibrant and successful new workforce for Wales.

The time is ripe for businesses to embrace not only one of the most successful ways of improving the quality of an existing workforce – but in recruiting and developing new talent

In what is the most challenging economic climate in living memory, it has become ever more crucial to ensure staff are trained up in preparation for the brighter business days ahead.

As Apprenticeship Provider of the Year we at Acorn believe that in a complex and challenging era, ongoing training and development of any business team is absolutely critical to its future success – and apprenticeships are at the heart of this.

However, apprenticeships are not just for new entrants to a business – but should also be used to improve and accredit the skills and competency of the more experienced members of an existing workforce.

Apprenticeships offer excellent opportunities, not just for employers but for people wanting to achieve thorough, professional training with a nationally-recognised qualification and transferrable skills.

The Welsh Government also believes in apprenticeships because they feel, quite rightly, that they fuel the future skills base of the nation – and are key to building a successful workforce for the future. Via a funding contract with the Welsh Government, Acorn can offer financial assistance to businesses to support the implementation of these national standards – in some cases funding 100 per cent of the cost.

Providing an apprenticeship vacancy can prove to be very rewarding as well as cost-effective to a business, giving an organisation a unique opportunity to develop and shape an apprentice in a way that best fits the business by focussing on the skills that will add real value.

Working with Careers Wales and other referral agencies, Acorn has established a network of keen, motivated people all looking for an opportunity to learn and contribute to the workplace. Employers may be eligible for financial assistance to recruit a young person via The Young Recruits Programme, in which companies can be eligible for a wage and training subsidy.

Apprenticeship programmes – part-financed by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government – are available via Acorn in the following career paths: customer service, administration, retail, banking, general insurance, management and team leading, contact centre, distribution and warehousing, learning and development, manufacturing and health and social care.