Whatever type of business you’re in, creative agencies, to the public sector, if you have need for project managers within your team, you are likely to have thought long and hard about what kind of project manager you’d like to have. Questions you might be asking yourself before placing that all-important job advertisement may well be:
However, instead of doing the usual hiring processes, going through rounds of interviews, having to pay for someone who only almost fits the bill, and having to pay over the odds to tempt them from a rival firm, why not think about creating your own apprenticeship position for project management apm apprenticeships within your company? There are certainly many benefits to doing so, which we’ll run through with you here.
These days, it’s not about getting an apprentice fresh out of school and having to train them on the job yourself. There are training companies out there that can help not only train your apprentice in the basics of project management, but provide them with qualifications, something to work for that will provide them with something at the end of their apprenticeship and a real action plan for success. Better still, they will provide support to your apprentice, allowing them to see how project management fits within YOUR business, which will give your apprentice true insight into how what they’re learning can benefit your business.
Taking on a young apprentice who is curious about how things work and why might just flag up questions that lead to new solutions and new ways of going about things that are totally different but perhaps more successful that what has been done before. While it is true that experienced project managers can bring in ideas from previous positions and previous projects, it is also the case that a fresh pair of eyes and an inquisitive mind can bring new ideas to the table too.
There are government incentives to taking on and training up young people. An apprenticeship grant can cover some of the costs of training an apprentice and some businesses will only have to pay 10% of the costs of the training. You must, however, pay at least the minimum wage to your apprentice while they are employed by you, however, it is a small price to pay for training up someone who will know your business and how to apply their newly learned skills within the business for the future good of the company.
When it comes to taking on an employee with years of experience, often, the question is where they will fit in in the hierarchy and whether they’ll fit in with the current team. Taking on an apprentice fresh out of school or college, or with very little business experience is, while a responsibility, also somewhat of a pleasure. They will know they need to learn from current staff as well as their trainer, and it may bring the team closer together. In fact, it is thought that 92% of apprentice hiring employers believe that their workforce is more satisfied and motivated as a result. This can partly be put down to senior staff having the new and satisfying responsibility of passing on their own knowledge which may make them feel important and that they have something of value to offer the apprentice.
If you are worried about spending money on an apprentice’s training only for them to leave for a rival company once their training is complete, you’ll be happy to know that for the most part, this is not the case. A well trained, motivated and encouraged apprentice will not only do better with their training, they will also be comfortable within your working environment, and will be more likely to stay within the business and work their way up the ladder, leaving you with a motivated, interested and loyal member of staff who want to further their own career and the future prospects of your company.
With all these benefits of hiring an apprentice for your business, there’s really no need to pay over the odds for a member of staff that does not quite fit the needs of the business. Instead, why not future proof your business and invest in an apprentice – or two – that could bring all these benefits and more to your business? See https://www.trainingbytesize.com/trailblazer-apprenticeships, for courses.
