5 reasons why your business needs an IT Apprentice

The last few years have seen unprecedented gains in digitalisation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the need for digital skills continues to increase, many companies are still catching up when it comes to getting talent with the right skills into the workplace.  We're here to explain to you how hiring an IT apprentice can help.

Every successful business today is largely centred around technology. No matter what your business does, the internet is integral. It’s likely that even your sales and marketing team acquire the majority of new business online. Having an effective IT department enables your business to operate smoothly and efficiently. As technology develops and advances, businesses’ demand for talented employees increases.

Why invest in IT apprentice expertise?

IT is quite simply the backbone of any successful organisation. As the demand for tech talent continues, the skills gap continues to grow and the impact of this is looking worrying. That’s why now is the time to invest in IT apprentices. They can provide support to colleagues and customers, whilst taking the pressure off a stretched IT team. By gaining education from a training provider and experience from the employer, apprentices can learn to use the right tools to support the business, ensuring that IT systems are running at peak performance. 

Why train an IT apprentice? 

 There are a whole host of benefits to hiring an IT Apprentice in your business.

Here are the top 5:

1. Reduce workload for your IT team

Hiring an apprentice may relieve pressure on your other staff. Members of your team can delegate tasks to free up their time to concentrate on their core responsibilities. As higher trained staff are more able to execute tasks efficiently, they will produce higher quality work whilst also reducing business costs. As an apprentice learns and grows, they can start to take on more complex work, meaning productivity can increase all round. A study by the National Apprentice Service showed that 78% of businesses that employ apprentices reported increased productivity.

2. Get tailored IT skills that your business really needs

Apprenticeships are a great way to tailor an employee’s skillset to carefully meet the demands of your business. Our apprentices undertake training in block weeks at our academy. We equip them with the skills and knowledge to ensure they become valuable assets to your company. Playing your part and developing an apprentice in-house means that your apprentice can build knowledge around the specific skills and requirements of your business, and this is an ideal way to address those pesky skills gaps.

3. Invest in your long-term IT strategy

Thinking about the bigger picture? Hiring an IT apprentice is an investment in your long-term IT strategy. Investing in IT talent is essential if your business wants to keep up with the ever-changing up-to-date technology. Tech is evolving rapidly, and it’s never been so important to secure the best new talent to fill key skills gaps. Effective tech talent will mean that your business can respond to changing customer and business needs, with ease. Collaborating with escalla to create a customised training programme is a great way of future-proofing your business. Getting the right skills and IT team in place could enable you to gain a competitive advantage against other firms in the market. Our apprenticeship programmes are regularly redesigned to match the skills and technologies employers need most right now, keeping your IT team ahead of the curve. This is essential given the advances in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence etc. Diversity in tech is essential for businesses that want to stay relevant to their customers, and competitive in the talent market. An inclusive work environment offers opportunity for growth and achievement to a broader range of works. This is an important step towards creating more resilient communities and a more equitable world. Investing in tech talent now, means you’re building a diverse talent pipeline for the future.

4. Improve retention

A significant benefit of hiring an apprentice is that they become loyal to your business. By investing in an apprentice’s career and future, you gain their loyalty in return. Apprenticeships are a clear indicator to current and prospective employees that you care about training, development, and career progression; an element which is becoming ever more crucial when candidates consider their careers. Employing an apprentice will enable you to build a socially responsible business and improve your company image. This is because you will provide opportunities to your local community, reduce unemployment, and support regional growth.

5. Apprentice training is funded (not by you!)

We all know that recruitment is a challenge right now. The good news is that hiring an apprentice is simple, and you can save time and money by hiring through escalla. If you’re a larger organisation, you’ll already be contributing to the government’s apprenticeship levy meaning you can use the funds in the account to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment. Smaller businesses that are non-levy paying, share the cost of the apprenticeship with the government (with the employer paying a maximum of 5% of the cost), so whatever your company’s circumstance, apprenticeships offer a great solution. Once you’ve decided to take on an apprentice, we do all the recruitment, screening, interviewing and placement for you. It really is as simple as that!

Start growing your talent pool with apprenticeships!

Find out more about our IT programmes:

- L3 Information Communications Technician

- L3 Digital Support Technician

- L4 Cyber Security Technologist

- L4 Network Engineer

- L4 Software Developer

To discuss how our IT apprenticeship training could work for you, please get in touch with joe.mclellan@escalla.co.uk or book in a discovery call.