“I never thought I’d be so dedicated to learning, enthusiastic about my role, and eager to work hard to impress!” Do you want your staff to be thinking and saying this?

In today’s article, I give you an insight into my own apprenticeship journey and reveal how hiring apprentices has helped drive our organisation to success.

My Personal Apprenticeship Success Story 

After deciding that University wasn’t for me - I didn’t like that it was so theory-based with very little practical application - I decided to Google what apprenticeships were currently available near me. I applied for a Business Administration apprenticeship and, as expected, I received comments such as “apprenticeships are just for hands-on industries like mechanics” or “you’re missing out on vital education by not going to uni”. But over the 18 months that I spent completing my apprenticeship, I found that they couldn’t have been more wrong. 

An Unforgettable First Few Weeks

After applying on the government website, having my interview, and being offered the job, I couldn’t wait to get started - I even woke up before my alarm went off on my first day which is unheard of for me! In the first few weeks of my apprenticeship, I quickly settled in and got a feel for how Nine Dots operated, their goals, and where I fit in the company. I almost instantly found myself picking up on the practices and terminology the team used, and learning something new every single day. Before I knew it, I felt confident in the role and was on the path to a fantastic career - and this showed in the glowing feedback I got from my employer: (This is actually taken from a real feedback sheet from my apprenticeship)

• You are fast becoming an integral part of our team at Nine Dots and are heavily involved in our long term plans. You have shown tremendous intelligence, a great work ethic and are a very valued member of the team. I hope we can provide you with enough support so you can reach your potential. You are an A type person and we love having you on our team. We are looking forward to you progressing your career at Nine Dots Development. As with everything you work on, you have completed all your tasks and projects with high attention to detail and have excelled in the role. You are an asset to the company and should be very proud of what you have achieved. Your organisational skills are incredible and you continue to astound the staff and directors on your aptitude towards the job. We are very much looking forward to the future with you on our team.

As someone who loves to learn and apply that learning to what I’m doing day-to-day, an apprenticeship was perfect for me - it integrated theory and practical application in a real-world setting, taking me from inexperienced to skilled and confident. 

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The Surprising Benefit Nine Dots Felt from Hiring an Apprentice

Not only did hiring me as an apprentice help Nine Dots expand the team from the bottom-up but, because I was completely new to the role, Nine Dots was surprisingly able to shape and sculpt me into exactly what they needed, making me the perfect fit for the job. The apprenticeship brought about so many benefits to me, but also for the company. I was constantly learning and working as hard as I could to impress, knowing that I could be offered a job at the end of the apprenticeship if I did well. Ultimately, the apprenticeship gave Nine Dots a committed, dedicated and hard working employee that brought new perspective and ideas to the table, and it allowed me to find my feet in the industry and finish the programme with a wealth of new, highly-relevant knowledge and skills which made me perfectly fitted to the role in the organisation.

Often, people think that apprentices are just there to get cups of coffee and organise paperwork but in reality, hiring apprentices is a fantastic opportunity to build an idyllic team that is eager to learn and dedicated to the role, all for a fraction of the usual cost. 

The True Purpose of Apprenticeships 

Apprenticeships were originally designed primarily for school-leavers looking to get into a trade. However, the definition of apprenticeships has changed drastically over the years. In 2012, the ‘Richard Review’ apprenticeship reform set out to simplify apprenticeships and put employers in the driving seat, with new apprenticeship standards to be designed by industry for industry.

A modern-day apprenticeship “combines hands-on work with the opportunity to train and obtain qualifications” and is available for almost any role in any industry. There is also incredible funding available for apprenticeships, with the ESFA funding up to 95% of the cost of the programme, not to mention the generous government grants available for organisations that hire an apprentice.

Want to Hire an Apprentice and Experience this for Yourself?

If, after hearing about my own and Nine Dots’ fantastic experience with apprenticeships, you want to hire an apprentice of your own, we can help! 

We offer a completely free apprentice recruitment service, helping you develop a skilled, competent, and outstanding workforce by supporting you with hiring an apprentice and taking advantage of the government grants and funding currently available. This process is broken down into 10 simple steps to make hiring an apprentice as easy as possible for you. We can help hire an apprentice to fill a variety of roles, including:

• Team Leaders
• Customer Service Specialists
• Sales Executives
• HR Support Staff
• Business Administrators

To find out more about this service, you can click here to download our ‘Hiring an Apprentice’ brochure, or click here to request a call with our Client Services team.

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Until next time...