Webinar: Apprenticeships

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Poor hiring decisions can be costly and negatively impact the culture and productivity of your business, but it often feels like there is no alternative to recruiting experienced people into your organisation to fill the gaps.

Apprenticeships are an established and proven way to develop both the junior members of your team, and your more experienced team leaders or managers. But how do they work for SMEs? How do you go about finding an apprentice and integrating them into your business?

Apprenticeship programmes are an effective way for employers to grow the specific talent that their organisation needs. Apprentices spend 20% of their time acquiring up-to-date knowledge in their chosen discipline and the rest of the week applying it in their job. There are a wide range of apprenticeship programmes on offer from more traditional apprenticeship fields such as construction through to data, software development and digital marketing.

• 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation*
• 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity*
• 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service*

During this Alumni Network webinar, our specialists will explore the benefits of apprenticeships and how they can be used to bridge the skills gaps in your business. You will hear from Alistair Heron who will explain how SMEs can use apprenticeships to reduce employment costs and fill skills gaps and Pam Wilson, Director of Kevin Wilson Master Builders, who will explain the benefits of apprentices to her business and also provide first-hand experience of what to consider when integrating an apprentice into your business.

Key takeaways will include: 

• how hiring an apprentice and upskilling your staff will help your business grow. 
• ways to prepare your organisation and successfully integrate an apprentice.  
• an inspiring SME case study, revealing how a business leader utilised apprenticeships to cultivate the ideal skillset.

Please find additional resources from our speakers below:

• https://cooplevyshare.co.uk/
• You can find out more about Kaplan’s current training offer here. The data and tech portfolio in particular applies to any business sector. 
• Kaplan also produces a variety of free ‘insight’ material from blogs to online events and Podcasts. Do feel free to dip in and share. 
• www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
• https://www.gov.uk/employing-an-apprentice/get-funding

About our Speakers

Dr Yvonne Moogan Director, Hull University Business School, University of Hull

Yvonne played a key role in creating Leeds University’s pioneering Level 7 apprenticeship programme. With extensive experience across diverse university settings and sectors, Yvonne champions apprenticeship initiatives, advocates for broader participation in education, and prioritises promoting higher education with a particular emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Pam Wilson Director, KWMB

Pam Wilson is the Director of Kevin Wilson Master Builders (KWMB) and the VP of the Scottish Master Builders Federation. Under her leadership KWMB has won several national awards due to their outstanding reputation within the industry. 

Nicola Adams Apprenticeships Growth Manager, London South Bank University

Nicola is a passionate believer in the role of apprenticeships in improving diversity, social mobility, and enhanced productivity. She is responsible for LSBU’s apprenticeship programmes, leading a team focused on expanding and sustaining apprenticeship programmes ranging from Level 2 to Level 7. Today, that includes 3,400 apprentices.

Alistair Heron Senior Business Development Manager, Kaplan

With over seven years of experience in apprenticeships, Alistair has worked across various industries. He collaborates with clients at the executive level (C-Suite) to pinpoint the training solutions required for ensuring organisational development and growth. Alistair is known for his successful track record in helping businesses thrive by attracting, upskilling and retaining talent.