UK 
United States
Apprenticeships are having a glow up - they’ve never been more popular while comparatively UCAS data reveals a drop in application rates among UK school-leavers; HR Grapevine talks to experts to find out why what was once dubbed as a ‘second class’ school leavers’ option has risen to fame.
It’s National Apprenticeship Week (10 – 16 February 2025) and the news is looking favourable. The number of apprenticeships starts from August 2023 to January 2024 rose to 200,500 marking a 2.5% increase from the previous year. It’s a growth as well as a glow up.
What’s in it for employers?
There’s plenty to like about apprenticeships from the employer’s perspective, they offer a ready talent pool that can be ‘home-grown’ as well as a breadth of new ability across the age-range because they aren’t just the demise of school-leavers, many professionals use them as a lever to enter a second career, bringing considerable and valuable experience with them while doing so.
Jo Ritchie, Head of Learning Innovation, Grant Thornton UK LLP says, “Recruiting apprentices can offer many benefits to both the individual and the company and open a significant new talent pool for employers. It’s therefore important that all elements of the apprenticeship lifecycle, from initial recruitment to the training programme, are carefully considered and designed with the needs of both the individual and the company in mind.”
For Craig Potter, Professional Education Senior Partner at Davies the largest training provider in the UK for the financial services and insurance industries - the benefits are two-ways.
Preventing drop-outs from a programme is reliant on the employer making sure that the individual is fully invested in the apprenticeship prior to joining and has demonstrated the requisite potential to succeed, both personally and professionally
“Research conducted by Davies in 2024 found that just over half of financial services organisations surveyed (57%) had an apprenticeship scheme in place. Of these, the feedback on the benefits of apprenticeships was overwhelmingly positive. A total of 73% said that permanent roles are typically offered to people who take part in the scheme and a similar proportion (71%) said that having an apprenticeship scheme is more cost-effective than traditional recruitment. Building employee loyalty (85%), fostering long term careers (78%) and creating pathways for diverse talent are other plus-points which were identified.”
Finding a route into a long-term career is a huge plus to apprentices but also a great benefit for employers looking to retain employees and train them up to rise through the ranks and provide value over years and decades.
