News
Apprenticeships are critical to supporting economic recovery
Published: 14 September 2020
Calling all employers… are you in need of high quality workforce skills development solutions?
Now is the time to embed apprenticeships as part of our economic recovery and to help business rebuild and reshape the workforce of the future.
Apprentices benefit both the individual apprentice and their employer. There is clear evidence that apprenticeships promote loyalty, with over 90% of apprentices retained with their employer after completing their professional & technical training course. Thereby providing a significant benefit for employers, in particular where apprentices add significant value to the business, providing fresh thinking and new skills for the business.
Recently, the Department for Economy announced their additional funding support for employers, in launching an Apprenticeship Recovery Package for Northern Ireland that will provide financial support to local businesses to help the apprenticeship system respond to the impact of the COVID–19 crisis, providing a significant boost to the provision of apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.
In addition to these financial incentives, there are many other reasons why hiring apprentices makes good business sense at this time. Hiring an apprentice is a cost-effective way to support the development of new skills and talent for employers and a significant 90% of employers have reported improved productivity after introducing an apprenticeship programme.
For those employers seeking to invest in skills development, and to drive improvement in productivity and staff retention, apprenticeships have a lot to offer and provide a comprehensive solution for workforce development.
Belfast Met’s Centre for Skills and Apprenticeships provides a tailored responsive approach for employers, identifying and responding to individual employer needs. We are seeking employer partners across a range of industries to support economic recovery and development, and to ensure we maintain and grow the supply of apprenticeship opportunities in Northern Ireland.
We are here to help and to find out more please contact a member of our team apprenticeships@belfastmet.ac.uk or employerengagement@belfastmet.ac.uk.