Q: I run a small company and am looking to take on apprentices. What ratio is allowed between employees and apprentices?
Feb 04 2011
Answered by: Steve Huxham Ask a question
There actually is no formal limit to the number of apprentices an employer can take on, whether a SME, plc or anything in between - a fact confirmed to me only this afternoon by the National Apprenticeship Service. I should add that the NAS run both a very informative website, and an excellent helpline service both for apprentices and employers, and should be able to answer all the follow on questions about apprenticeships that anyone might have.
Neither are there any specified ratios stipulated, although we have seen recommendations elsewhere suggesting that there should be no more than 1:5 apprentices to original staff on a single site. However there are always exceptions that provide different practical examples to any guidance given. For example, self-employed builders can often take on several apprentices at any one time, whilst at the other end of the spectrum some research conducted by the Department for Communities and Local Government suggested that in public services the best performing Councils were creating one Apprenticeship for every 65 employees; the overall average being one apprentice per 248 employees.
Whatever the lack of formal answer to the query though, I feel that we must go back and start from the same point as each and every recruitment situation and ask in return the old question: What solution provides the best outcome for the appointee (or apprentice in this case) and the existing staff - ie a win/win for all parties?
Hopefully, an increasing number of employers of all sizes are now realising the advantages of taking on apprentices. Amongst other benefits, they can be a good way to fill skill shortages in a company, and they can bring new and fresh skills and help to motivate the rest of the staff. Treated and developed properly, their levels of loyalty to a business are often very high too. For an apprentice, getting qualified while on the job brings other benefits too, such as working better and more effectively, experiencing new and different challenges, better long term job security, and gaining more generic skills and knowledge including 'soft skills' that can be used across a range of jobs and business sectors.
However the advice to an employer, and especially an SME, thinking of using apprentices for the first time must be to exercise caution in the numbers and not to be tempted to over-reach yourself to start with. This carries the risk of the experience being detrimental to the apprentice, you, the business and to your existing staff. You must give your apprentice(s) a proper induction into their role and provide on the job training - and please also be aware of their situation and comparative lack of experience rather than just load them up with work on day one! The best employers also usually try to run mentoring and/or buddying schemes for their apprentices to help support them throughout their apprenticeship.
In conclusion, carefully think through your needs, the needs of your business and those of your existing staff, and the time commitments, and only then arrive at your number - a number that you think all parties can not only cope with, but benefit from. Lastly, please remember that apprenticeship are a fantastic idea, and produce some excellent results and achievements - if in doubt, you could always ask Jamie Oliver, who started his illustrious career as an apprentice!
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