The looming and ever-growing skills gaps are a worry for businesses across the globe. As global talent shortages continue and the expectations of employees increase, recruiting and retaining the right talent to plug skills gaps can be difficult.
So, which methods can organisations take advantage of to plug these gaps? Apprenticeships could be the answer to this ever-growing problem. Keep reading to find out how.
- What Are Skills Gaps?
- Addressing Skills Gaps Through Tailored Apprenticeships
- Improving Access to Education and Training
- Are Apprenticeships the Answer?
- Start Identifying Your Skills Gaps
What ARe Skills Gaps?
In short, skills gaps are when organisations need specific skills to fulfil their goals, but their employees don't currently possess them.
Skills gaps have increased in recent years for several reasons. Job markets are rapidly changing and digital advancements are developing by the day, often at a rate too quick for employees to keep up.
Factors such as the pandemic, changing employee expectations and a multigenerational workforce have only exacerbated this problem. Organisations are now looking for solutions that not only fill the immediate skills gaps but stimulate overall business growth too.
Addressing Skills Gaps Through Tailored Apprenticeships
One solution providing multiple benefits is an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are unique in that they offer the best of both worlds — they allow organisations to choose and nurture the skills they need while providing employees with the training to succeed in their roles.
As a result, apprenticeships offer a way of filling the critical skills gaps specific to your organisation. You must provide a clear pathway to success for you and your employees to achieve your goals. You can do this by working with an established training provider who'll devise a plan that upskills your employees with the best expertise for your organisation.
You should also review your apprenticeships regularly to ensure they continue to plug evolving skills gaps. According to Capita, businesses never stand still, so apprenticeships shouldn't either.
While they aren't the quickest or cheapest solution, apprenticeships offer long-term benefits that will help your organisation and employees grow. We'll discuss these benefits later in this blog.
Improving Access to Education and Training
While apprenticeships can help you plug skills gaps, you must provide the correct access and funding for training so the right people can capitalise on it.
Businesses in the UK can take advantage of the apprenticeship levy to fund apprenticeships and training programmes. Harness this opportunity and use it to advance your organisation's skillsets further.
Download our guide to find out all there is to know about the apprenticeship levy.
You can't expect the skills gaps to fill themselves. You'll need to invest in the right training and opportunities to nurture and enhance your employee's abilities, whether it's an existing employee or the new talent you're trying to attract.
Are Apprenticeships the Answer?
Like most business decisions, finding the perfect solution will depend on various factors. However, apprenticeships are a reliable option for closing skills gaps.
They can improve your organisation's culture, fostering an atmosphere of learning and personal investment. They're also adaptable to meet your organisation's needs and you can tailor them to fill specific skills gaps.
However, they're one of the more expensive options and require a lot of effort. Although you'll invest a lot into an employee, there's still the risk that they could leave and take their skills elsewhere, damaging your ROI and further enhancing skills gaps.
Enrolling employees on training programmes could be a cheaper yet effective alternative. Even better, you can still use your apprentice levy to help pay for them.
Finding a solution that fits the bill is just one part of the challenge. First, you'll need to identify which skills you need to invest in to succeed in the workplace of tomorrow.
Start Identifying Your Skills Gaps
Looking to invest in digital marketing training but unsure where to start? We can help you with that. Our handy checklist gives you all the essential skills needed to succeed in digital marketing, so you can identify any skills gaps you need to fill.
Download your copy now to get started.
