Training provider calls for more apprenticeship places to address skill shortage

Leading UK training provider, Educ8 Training Group, is calling for more businesses to include apprenticeship opportunities in their recruitment strategy to tackle skills shortages.

The Learning and Work Institute forecast the UK skills shortage would cost the country £120bn by 2030 amid a shortfall of 2.5 million highly-skilled workers.

Ann Nicholas, Customer Account Director at Educ8 Training said, “The job market has seen significant changes since the Covid pandemic and employers now want to diversify their strategy in order to retain the best talent. As a training provider supporting over 3,000 employers, we have heard first-hand from businesses how apprenticeships can support recruitment and upskill talent.”

A lack of management skills within an organisation often creates issues in productivity. Our ILM qualifications assist both learners and employers to improve their confidence in obtaining these important management skills needed to grow the business.”

UK employers spend just half of the EU average on training per worker. Apprenticeship programmes could work alongside existing in-house training to upskill staff in a cost-effective way.

Orbis Education & Care is a provider of specialist services for children and adults with complex needs associated with autism. In 2022, 43 of their staff members enrolled on apprenticeships with Educ8 Training.

Debra Derham, Learning and Development Manager at Orbis said, “Our staff have accessed a range of apprenticeship qualifications through Educ8 Training. This has enabled their career progression while being able to access recognised vocational qualifications.”

An apprenticeship programme provides clear career progression. It helps the employer and employee focus on individual and professional development.

Lucy Williams studies with Educ8 Training and progressed from an unemployed factory worker with no qualifications to a care manager. She said, “Apprenticeships have helped me progress my career. All the knowledge and skills I have picked up through studying have got me where I want to be within the company. There is always time to learn, no matter how old you are.”

Apprenticeships support the current skills shortage and also prepare people for the future workforce. The UK government has a solid strategy for the UK economy to meet the net zero emissions target by 2050. Green skills are urgently needed to deliver this strategy.

Educ8 Training are set to launch a new Energy and Carbon Management course. It will be one of the first qualifications of its kind in the UK to upskill workers to help drive their organisations’ goals in lowering carbon emissions and developing more sustainable working practices.