Attracting the best young people -The Apprenticeship scheme? In many businesses, the graduate training programme has been a long held and well delivered scheme for graduates to enter the business and learn about the different elements of it by touching various departments and then find the role in the business that fits their skills the best. This structure has been around for some time, and is generally considered by both employers and graduates as an excellent method. In fact, graduates often seek out employees with these structured programmes rather than just a job, because they give them the best chance of success and career development. However, increasingly, the recruitment pool for businesses is more diverse than simply graduates. Major players such as the big four accountancy firms for example are taking school leavers for the first time, and have devised schemes to bring these young, talented individuals through. The main reason for this change has been the significant increase in debt burden that graduates are expected to take, based upon increasing tuition fees. In addition to this, and if we look at the market more widely, we can see that young people, businesses, educational establishments and the government are also placing higher importance on vocational qualifications. So with more young people coming into businesses at an earlier age, and through vocational qualifications such as apprenticeships, are businesses putting in place the ‘apprentice training schemes’ that will ensure that the young people they take on outside of their graduate recruitment, have the same chance of success?

1. Want to learn more about Innovation? Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550 or visit
www.elearning.pathwaycourses.co.uk
Attracting the best young people
The Apprenticeship scheme?

2. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
The GraduateTraining Programme is
 A well established scheme for graduates to
enter the business and learn about the different
elements of it
 Touches various departments
 Finds the role in the business that fits the
graduate’s skills best
 Is an excellent method

3. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Graduates often seek out employees with these
structured programmes rather than just a job,
because they give them the best chance of
success and career development.

4. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
However………
 Increasingly, the recruitment pool for businesses
is more diverse than simply graduates
 The big four accountancy firms for example are
taking school leavers for the first time, and have
devised schemes to bring these young, talented
individuals through

5. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Why?
 Due to the significant increase
in debt burden that graduates
are expected to take, based
upon increasing tuition fees
 Young people, businesses,
educational establishments and
the government are also placing
higher importance on
vocational qualifications

6. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
So…..
Through vocational qualifications such as
apprenticeships, businesses are putting in place
the ‘apprentice training schemes’ that will
ensure that the young people they take on
outside of their graduate recruitment, have the
same chance of success

7. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Is this relevant to all businesses
including SMEs?
Yes!
 While the scope of the training programme, may be
different, an SME with a well laid out programme is
going to stand out to talented local apprentices and
young people
 It can mean that the quality of individual you employ
increases
 As a small business you may well be able to offer more
‘growth opportunities’ than in a bigger firm.

8. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
What could an apprentice
training scheme look like?
It would probably look similar to a graduate programme, although it
may be longer and cover more breadth to ensure the placement is
right. Here’s some key elements to consider:
 Different paths
 Multiple departments/roles
 Tutoring and mentoring
 Job training
 Life training
 Reward and recognition

9. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Different Paths
 Consider the nature of your business
 Where is the person going
Example:
 If you are a technical business, you may have a technical
apprenticeship or a clerical apprenticeship (non-
technical route).
It’s important young people see breadth, we want to make sure
they are in an area which they are interested and skilled in.

10. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Multiple departments/roles
 The young person needs to see how different
elements of the business work
 They need to understand the business
 The mentors should assess their aptitude for
different roles
 As in a graduate training programme, a sufficient
amount of time needs to be spent in each
department

11. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Tutoring and Mentoring
 An apprentice needs to have one person in the business
who is going to guide them and work with them to
progress
 This person will oversee their progress and then take
feedback and input from the appointed mentors within
a specific department in order to evaluate progress and
determine position suitability
During the time in any department a specific tutor or
mentor needs to be appointed so they can ensure the
person gets the best from that department.

12. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Job Training
 An Apprentice needs specific training for the job they
are doing, whether that’s marketing or mechanics
 The individual will need a structured training
programme

13. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Life Training
 Consider an Apprentice’s age and life experience
 Consider things such as personal financial
training or other life skills training
A happy and settled young employee is going to be
much more productive than one distracted by external
factors

14. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Reward and Recognition
 Have a clearly structure rewards and
recognition programme
 Incentivise the key behaviours you want to
develop and the performance standards you
expect as a business
Drive an apprentice’s
performance forward

15. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Why would I do this?
 Attracting the best staff
 Ensure the success of Apprentices

16. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Attracting the best staff
Apprentices are looking for the best
training programmes to help their career
develop
If you want the most talented young people,
offering them more than just a job will
stand you out

17. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
The success of Apprentices
 Apprentice recruitment is only cost effective if the
person succeeds
 If you have a long line of people not achieving their
potential, then irrelevant of where they have come from,
this is expensive and time consuming

18. Find out more about Attracting, recruiting and retaining the best
apprentices - Call Pathway on 0121 707 0550
Pathway Group
Pathway group work with businesses of all sizes to help make their
recruitment successful.
We believe in a consultative and ongoing process, where we don’t just
place employees and apprentices in your business, but by establishing
a partnership, we ensure that the placed individual is a success.
That process is different for all business. If you’d like to find out about
how we can help make your apprentices more successful, contact a
Pathway business advisor on 0121 707 0550