In an increasingly competitive hiring environment, talent shortages and growing skills gaps are areas of genuine concern for businesses looking to secure employees with the skills needed to meet today’s and future business demands.
The combination of an ongoing digital revolution that is transforming the world of work, changing consumer sentiment, and current socio-economic pressures means that being able to access talent that can be trained and ready to overcome new challenges and optimize fresh opportunities is going to be a key competitive advantage.
Degree Apprenticeships—Dispelling the Myths
One proven method of supporting skills enhancement and overall workforce development ambitions is to provide access to degree apprenticeships.
Created in 2015 as part of the UK government’s apprenticeship reform program, degree apprenticeships can be an invaluable and integral component of a holistic recruitment and retention strategy.
It’s fair to say that degree apprenticeships remain subject to some misconceptions, which may, in the past, have resulted in some organizations being reticent about adopting them. A primary issue centered around the concern that employees would simply leave and continue their careers elsewhere after completing a degree apprenticeship.
However, evidence refutes this myth. Research demonstrates that more than 7 in 10 (73 percent) businesses now retain their completer apprentices once their degree element is finished. Companies prepared to provide apprenticeships at Level Four or Five are more likely to retain all their completer apprentices than organizations offering lower levels.
Another concern focuses on the time commitment employees must make to complete a course while working. An apprenticeship can take between one and five years to complete, depending on the sector and level. As a result, businesses must partner with organizations offering convenient access to flexible or distance-based learning. Such provision allows workers to positively integrate their education, while still making the most of their day-to-day working experiences.
The Value of an Apprenticeship Champion
One way to ensure degree apprenticeship programs—as well as other employee development initiatives—run smoothly is to make the strategic decision to appoint, resource, and support a dedicated learning and development champion within the business.
This important internal position can ensure that upskilling is thoroughly integrated into employee career progression plans, while also allowing businesses to track progress and offer tangible support for apprentices who may need it as they combine their education responsibilities with work experience.
A “skills” champion in this area also will be ideally positioned to proactively identify potential staff and give businesses a better chance of enrolling employees who will stick to the apprenticeship and remain with the organization after completing their degree apprenticeship.
Fueling Diversity
Apprenticeships have been described by the Social Mobility Commission as one of the “most powerful and effective means of boosting social mobility among workers from less advantaged backgrounds.” This is because they open access for those who have taken a route into the industry that doesn’t involve attending university.
Employees who do not have the opportunity to focus on their own learning are less likely to “climb up” the career ladder. But businesses have the power to prevent this from happening by creating stimulating learning and employment opportunities for wider society and increasing the potential for securing new talent that otherwise would be missed.
Simply affording employees the opportunity to return to education when they are ready and to build the skills that can propel them further in their careers is a positive move.
In addition to ensuring emerging talent in whom time and resources have been invested remain to assist the company in the future, a degree apprenticeship program is a practical solution to make sure the company’s workforce is representative of society.
Building a more diverse employee base must be central to any organization keen to secure its reputation as a potential employer of choice.
The Future
The labor market is now evolving at a quicker pace than ever, and businesses that do not assess all the options for finding and retaining talented and skilled employees for the future risk being left behind.
With the help of educational institutions, organizations now have the opportunity to offer tailored learning, with better-understood degree apprenticeships, central to a range of effective solutions that can help bridge the growing skills gap and assist managers with their personal development.
Arden University is already collaborating with many businesses looking to further diversify and offer upskilling opportunities to staff members who wish to see progress and contribute to the company’s future prospects.
For employees, enrolling in a degree apprenticeship allows them to stay relevant in a rapidly changing market and advance their skill sets, careers, and prospects.
As economic demands, marketplace trends, societal concerns, and technological developments continue to shift, investing in proven people development solutions such as degree apprenticeships makes good business sense.
