Mariah is founder of WKM Accountancy Services, an accountants service located in the East Midlands, providing a range of financial services to SMEs across the UK.
We hear a lot about apprenticeships and how businesses should take better advantage of the young talent that is out there. However, for businesses that have not taken on an apprentice before, it can sometimes seem like quite a daunting prospect. Mariah Tompkins, of East Midlands-based accounting firm WKM Accountancy Services, has first-hand experience of working with an apprentice and wants to share how hiring an apprentice could benefit other small businesses too.
A team designed for you
As apprentices tend to be young and new to the world of work, one of the biggest advantages to taking someone on in an apprenticeship role is being able to develop their skills to your own requirements. Apprentices typically prove eager to learn and provide a breath of fresh air to the business, rewarding your investment in their training with new ideas, and often bring a more motivated dynamic to the business. This refreshed environment has an effect on other employees in the business too, and noticeably impacts how everyone goes about their day to day tasks.
Return on investment
Before taking on an apprentice, you should consider how financially viable offering an apprenticeship would be. There is however, a lot of support out there to make it easier for businesses to offer apprenticeships. Businesses should take advantage of the government funding available and in particular the co-investment scheme, which is designed to help smaller businesses afford to take on apprentices. For new apprenticeship starters, companies need only co-invest 5% and the government will provide funding for the remaining 95% of costs. Since initial investment costs are often so low, you should be able to experience a positive return on investment from day one!
Apprenticeships can be great value for money for several other reasons too; most notably from a recruitment perspective. Opening up your hiring pool to apprentices can mean that you are able to fill vacancies very quickly, reducing the time and money you would have otherwise had to put into your recruitment process. Apprentices obviously can’t be a valid substitute for skilled staff members, however, they can often assist with lower level tasks and take an admin burden of any growing accountancy firm.
Get in control of your social media presence
It’s no secret that young people are naturally at ease with technology. Having grown up in the digital age, using technology and social media is second nature to them so why not get your apprentice to support on your marketing efforts? Having a digital presence is a necessity nowadays and your apprentice can help you to establish your business online, to make sure you are visible to your target market.
Make the most of your website
Your apprentice will likely get to grips with your website in no time at all so they can assist with how you present your services online. You could also give them some time for copywriting too, to help populate your company blog with useful resources for your target market. Not only does this improve the user experience on your site, it also helps to improve your visibility in search engines if you are targeting users through relevant content.
Trusting your apprentice to support with your website means you can produce much more useful content at a faster rate, making your site a go-to resource for users in need of advice. This can mean that your site becomes much more visible when people search the web for accountancy related services. By using your apprentice in this way you are not only benefiting your company but the apprentice themselves too, as they get experience using a wider skill-set and feel that they have a valued role within the team.
Improved staff morale
A perhaps unexpected outcome of taking on an apprentice is the effect it can have on the rest of your team. One of the most rewarding tasks an employee can have is to train someone less experienced, and the majority of businesses that take on apprentices report that older team members, in particular, expressed a renewed sense of purpose with their work. This boost to staff morale further impacts overall job satisfaction for the rest of the workforce, which in turn leads to higher levels of productivity across the board. The effect of an apprentice on company culture has even been proven to improve staff retention!
Building a reputation
Businesses should feel the benefits in their daily work environment as taking on an apprentice can also help to build a brand’s reputation. Hiring an apprentice sends a clear message that you are recruiting for the long-term and investing in your firm’s future. It also shows that, in choosing to hire and develop local talent, your business is giving back to the community. The apprentices themselves also recognise your willingness to invest in them which means they develop a real sense of loyalty to your company. In this way, you are future-proofing your business, as you can expect to benefit from your apprentice for years to come.
If there is one thing to take away from an experience with apprenticeships, it’s that the process is far less daunting than many first think it will be. Rather than worrying about any potential risks, businesses would do well to consider all the positives that apprentices offer.
