Every company relies on skills development to futureproof their business.

Having the right staff with the right skills is vital for business, but many companies are struggling to recruit and retain the talent they need. In fact, the UK is experiencing a skills shortage across many sectors – from healthcare to engineering – which means the skills just aren’t out there, so they need to be developed in house. It’s a big problem, but apprenticeships could be the answer.

Apprenticeships are a great way for businesses to develop a skilled yet loyal workforce. They increase productivity, boost your reputation and show that you value developing talent.

They can be used to attract new talent or upskill existing staff at any level. Apprenticeships are available from entry level to degree level in all disciplines – everything from economics to engineering; horticulture to hairdressing.

Apprentices spend 80% of their time on-the-job learning from more experienced staff, and 20% of their time at college or university. It’s a great way to bring knowledge into the business while moulding staff to your way of working. And if you pay the apprenticeship levy, training costs are already covered!

One company already using apprenticeships to boost their skills development is IPG Mediabrands UK. Sarah Mitchell, senior talent acquisition manager, said; ‘We need to be up to speed with technological developments that impact our industry and clients, and apprentices are proving to be a great way to fill that digital skills gap. They have passion and enthusiasm, and the opportunity is there for them to drive things forward and manage their own projects.’

Like IPG Mediabrands UK, many employers are already benefitting from apprenticeships, but other employers don’t really know where to start. They don’t know what level apprenticeships should be, what funding is available, or what their role will be in training the new apprentice. We need to spread the word about apprentices and learn from those who already have experience.

That’s where OneFile comes in.

We’ve been working with employers and training providers who deliver apprenticeships for over a decade. Our software is used to track the apprenticeship from start to finish – so employers know exactly what skills their apprentice is learning, and what they can do to support them.

With OneFile, apprentices create an online portfolio to prove their skills. This can then be accessed by tutors, mentors and employers so they can collaborate easily and make sure the apprentice is ready to take the end-point assessment. OneFile makes managing apprenticeships a whole lot easier:

‘We use OneFile to deliver apprenticeship programmes in our engineering, renewables, rail and healthcare sectors. It’s excellent as we can track learner progress across the whole qualification. Staff also have the ability to assess remotely and give individual feedback to learners to keep them motivated. The gap analysis also helps keep learners focused as they can identify any areas of competence they need to demonstrate to their assessor, reducing the amount of time it takes to reach full completion.’

Dave Ambler, Quality Assurance Consultant – Siemens

To find out more about apprenticeships, how they’re funded, how they’re assessed, and how OneFile can help, download our free guide.