He has been a fantastic addition to the team and after three years, proved the theory that apprentices tend to be loyal to the company that trained them.
There are many other business benefits to employing an apprentice; training an apprentice is more cost-effective, lowering overall training costs and reducing recruitment costs allowing you to price your services more competitively.
It fills a vacancy more quickly and you end up with a skilled worker that you need for the future.
You also have the opportunity to mould your apprentice’s development to fit your processes and practices.
Research has shown, and I would totally agree, that hiring an apprentice results in a more motivated individual, higher productivity, and that they can make a valuable contribution to your business.
It is a fantastic opportunity for apprentices to gain experience and for employers to find a cost-effective solution to help fill a skills gap.
Craig Chadwick, G5 Technologies' first apprentice and now employee
BACK in November 2012 we recruited our first apprentice through the QA apprenticeship scheme.
This was the first time we had used the government-funded programme and we are keen to let other employers know how positive the experience it was.
The apprenticeship programme was completely new to us at G5 but it sounded like a really good idea and we decided to give it a try.
If I’m honest, I had previously had reservations about hiring an apprentice due to their age.
Candidates have to be 16-19 to qualify for the programme but I have to say we were really impressed by our apprentice Craig’s mature attitude and ability to learn.
As well as on-the-job training, the government-funded scheme provides apprentices with four weeks classroom-based training which is tailored specifically to the company’s requirements and at no extra cost to the employer.
In our case, this was Microsoft training, and he received a good foundation of technical knowledge as well as practical customer service skills over the nine-month apprenticeship.
You still need to pay the apprentice’s wages and the minimum apprenticeship salary is as low as £6,435.
I’m not sure that would even cover travel costs nowadays so a typical QA apprenticeship salary would be in the region of £8,000 - £13,000.
There is no obligation to employ your apprentice after the nine month apprenticeship but in our case, Craig really proved himself with his excellent customer service skills, motivation and thirst for IT knowledge.
We didn’t hesitate to take him on full time.