How apprenticeships can be a game changer for businesses
By Tasmin Raynor, Director of Apprenticeships, The OCM
This week is Apprenticeship Week[i] which is an opportunity to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships, and how facilities management firms can use apprenticeships to transform their business by training and upskilling staff.
The facilities management sector is facing a talent and skills shortage, and last year a RICS UK Facilities Management Survey, found that 65% of FM services are facing difficulties in sourcing workers[ii]. Apprenticeships can be a positive way to address the skills shortage and boost organisational performance.
They can help firms build a robust workforce for the future and ensure employees have the right skills and that they remain up to date. Strategically, this helps businesses grow, stay competitive and improve employee engagement by facilitating career progression.
More businesses are recognising the value of apprenticeships to combine practical on-the-job training with theoretical learning. In the 2023/24 academic year apprenticeship starts were up by 7.0% to 130,830 compared to the same period in the previous year[iii].
Higher level apprenticeships (Level 4 and 5) accounted for 35.3% of all starts and continue to grow in 2023/24, with higher apprenticeship starts increasing by 9.9% to 46,230, compared to 42,060 in the same period last year.
Apprenticeships can offer an innovative way for organisations to develop, train and mentor their employees and bolster their recruitment and retention rates.
A 2022 report from the Department of Education[iv] found that 62% of apprentices stayed working for the company that trained them after completing their apprenticeship and 76% of employers said that training existing employees as apprentices improved staff retention.
A core benefit of apprenticeships is that they can be used for all levels of employees, from entry-level roles through to degree-level apprenticeships. Apprenticeships in England benefit both the apprentice, who gains invaluable skills and experience and the employer, who cultivates a talented and skilled workforce from within.
Using the Apprenticeship Levy to pay for training.
For employers in England, the Apprenticeship Levy has transformed the apprenticeship landscape. Launched in 2017, the levy requires employers with a pay bill of more than £3 million yearly to invest 0.5% of their payroll into the levy.
The funds generated from the Levy are deposited into each paying employer's Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account. Employers in England can then use these funds to pay for training and assessment costs for apprenticeships.
The government applies a 10% top-up to the funds in these accounts, so for every £1 that enters the account; the employer gets £1.10 to spend on apprenticeship training. Funds in an employer's DAS account expire 24 months after they enter the account if they are not spent on apprenticeship training. This encourages employers to invest in apprenticeship training and use their funds efficiently.
Boosting coaching and mentoring skills through apprenticeships
Although the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced to encourage employers to develop and enhance their workforce through high-quality training programmes, often levy-paying employers are not using these funds in the most effective way.
Research from City & Guilds and the 5% Club found that employers have spent an average of 55.5% of their apprenticeship levy funding in the last five years[v] highlighting that nearly half of the generated funding has not been used by Levy paying employers and risks going to waste.
One option for facilities management firms to make use of apprenticeship funding is to consider giving staff access to higher level apprenticeships as a training and development tool and show their commitment to career progression within the organisation.
Coaching and mentoring apprenticeships can offer significant long-term benefits to upskill workers in these areas, which can be invaluable in many roles, including management and leadership positions. Employers could use their levy funds to invest in training that has the potential to bring about transformational change.
Coaching and mentoring are essential skills in today's collaborative business environment. They enable individuals to guide and support their colleagues and foster a culture of continuous learning, mutual respect, and holistic growth.
By equipping the workforce with coaching and mentoring skills, businesses are not only ensuring they can perform their current roles more effectively, but they are prepared for leadership positions in the future.
Lisa Ingram was working for Amey, an organisation that manages infrastructure & public services across the UK when she decided to do the ‘Coaching Professional Level 5 Apprenticeship’ through professional coaching firm, The OCM. This apprenticeship includes approximately 308 guided learning hours over a 14-month programme, which can be delivered virtually.
It’s aimed at employees from any role or level within an organisation if they act as an internal coach and/or deliver coaching in support of the organisations coaching and mentoring strategy.
Explaining her decision to do the apprenticeship she said: “I had been coaching for a very long time, but I wanted the framework and theoretical support that went along with it. I would say I was quite an instinctive, natural coach but that was how I had conversations, and I wanted to formalise that to give myself the confidence that comes with understanding some of the theoretical background.”
“I was very lucky that I had a very supportive line manager who understood apprenticeships and that time needs to be allowed for it in the working week. I was quite rigorous with myself for putting that time aside into my calendar every week.”
Following the apprenticeship Lisa is a qualified coach and has been able to use her skills at work. She said: “I’ve learnt a lot about myself. As you coach others, you also coach yourself. Some of the areas I identified at the start such as my tendency to help people and provide answers for them, now I’ve have got much better at waiting and not being afraid of silence when I am talking to people.
“The apprenticeship has benefited people I work with as I’ve coached one-on-one and coached teams to improve performance. The apprenticeship was completed a while ago but I still coach. I also recently did twenty one-off coaching sessions with women within the business. This was a project to increase awareness about career opportunities and self-development.”
Lisa adds: “Through the apprenticeship I feel as though I have found what I was born to do, and I found it so fulfilling it was a real game changer for me. What the course has given me is that edge and has helped to maximise the value of conversations at work, whether it’s in a formal coaching relationship or just a 10-minute call with somebody.”
Apprenticeships support employees on their career pathways and give them valuable skills to thrive within the organisation. They are a powerful on the job training and development tool for both individual career progression and organisational growth. For firms looking to upskill workers and attract talent in 2024, they could offer the key to success.
The OCM offers two coaching and mentoring apprenticeships. To find out more: www.theocm.co.uk/ocm-apprenticeships
References:
[i] https://nationalapprenticeshipweek.co.uk/
[iii] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships
[iv] https://feweek.co.uk/how-apprenticeships-can-provide-effective-employee-retention/
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