TalentPeople Blog

David Allison discusses the effects of the apprenticeship levy on business agendas and the challenge employers face in finding the right apprentices.

With youth unemployment and the skills shortage frequently making headlines, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is easy to find and recruit high calibre candidates for apprenticeships and entry-level roles.

David Cameron could have spoken about many policies in his agenda when he addressed the nation outside Number 10 Downing Street having been re-elected as Prime Minister — but he chose apprenticeships. David Allison considers the task ahead.

Apprenticeships are big news. As we approach the General Election, all the main parties have had something to say about them – but whoever gets the keys to Number 10 in May, the facts remain; apprenticeships are a great way to either start or change career – and they’re not just for young people.

It’s great that you are interested in employing an apprenticeship - and GetMyFirstJob is the easy way to match candidates to your brand new local vacancies. But, how much do you know about Apprenticeships? We want to give you the basics:

Stephanie Palmer has some advice for employers on how to mentor apprentices

After spending eight months studying sports therapy at university, I decided that it was not the right route for me. I was unhappy with the quality of the course I was paying a huge amount for and decided to explore other non-university career paths. At school, training as an apprentice wasn't endorsed with equal merit as going to university, so I hadn't really seen an apprenticeship as a viable route. But after being disappointed with my university experience, I decided to research the option.

At this time of year there is much debate about the options that are open to young people. There are articles published that pass comment about the advice offered at school, the relative merits of University, Colleges and Apprenticeships. Many of them bemoan the fact that there are too many ‘Hairdressers’ and not enough ‘Engineers’. Reports are commissioned and published by many organisations representing training providers, employers, funders, and so on.

If you're company focusses on computers, the Internet or social media, an Apprenticeship within the IT framework could be for you… but which position do you want an apprentice in? Within this industry there are lots of different job roles available through which apprentices can gain an IT NVQ. Here are a few different IT Apprenticeships:

Your company may be primarily in the leisure industry. But what exactly does a Leisure Apprenticeship entail? Some leisure vacancies are based in a gym, some in parks and some even at football clubs…. so here are some ideas of the apprentices you could employ.

What is a match: person or thing exactly like, equal to or in harmony with another*

This magazine is aimed at candidates to help them make informed choices about the next steps in their career!

You will be putting alot of input into this interview, and hopefully your candidate would have put in a similar amount of effort. You will interview lots of potential candidates in order to seek the best skills. A good attitude from the candidate will also go a long way to persuade you to hire them! Depending on the job sector you’re looking to fill, will determine the specific skill set you are looking for need. Here are the top 3 things an employer should be looking for in an interview.