Name:
Jane Wilkinson
Company:
Practical People Management.
HR Consultancy offering advice and support to SME’s in the North West
I also work at Blackpool and Fylde College and Runshaw College delivering CIPD courses and HR modules on degree courses.
Which type of Apprenticeships do you offer?
I have in previous positions developed apprenticeships at intermediate and higher levels.
Why did you choose to hire an apprentice?
A structured way to introduce new talent into an organisation.
What benefits has your company seen from hiring apprentices?
Has helped fill skill gaps within the organisation with a structured plan for their further development, ensuring a constant stream of competent individuals filling crucial positions.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone thinking about becoming or hiring an apprentice?
For the organisation hiring – ensure the apprenticeship fulfils an organisational need and is structured to ensure the apprentice has the skills you need at the end of the apprenticeship.
For the apprentice – ensure the organisation has a detailed structure in place for the time span of your apprenticeship so you can see what is in store and ensure it is what you want. Talk to individuals who have gone through the programme if you can.
Please tell us a positive story regarding apprenticeships that you can share?
Without being specific, from an organisational perspective, it’s worth persevering with some of the more difficult characters on apprenticeships. They can, with help, develop into the most loyal, talented and inspiring people you can have in your organisation and your best ‘sales’ people from a recruitment point of view.