EMPLOYERS IN THE REGION: WE NEED YOU!

This summer, thousands of young people across the Liverpool City Region will leave school, college and sixth form and begin looking for their first opportunity in the world of work. As a region, we must do what we can to create opportunities for these young people. One way is for employers to create new apprenticeship entry-level vacancies. In this way, businesses can play a big role in ensuring our young people don’t join the nation’s eye-watering figure of 1 million 16-to-24-year-olds who are currently not in work, education or training.

The Liverpool City Region is inviting employers to consider creating a vacancy for a school leaver or other young person this summer.

A £2000 reason to recruit an apprentice this summer

In fairness, there’s never been a better time to recruit an apprentice. The Government has announced a new £2,000 incentive for eligible small and medium-sized employers that recruit a new apprentice aged 16-24 and start them on an apprenticeship from 1 October 2026. So that’s good news. Remember, this is in addition to the many other sources of financial support you can access if you recruit a young apprentice: an additional £1000 grant if they are aged 16-18, no employer NI to pay, and full cost of training covered.

Unfortunately, many businesses still have concerns about apprenticeships, but these are mostly based on outdated views. Here are seven common fears employers have about apprenticeships, along with an explanation of why each is unfounded.

Apprentices spend too much time training, not working

Many employers still imagine apprentices spending large amounts of time away from work in college. In reality, most apprentices spend all their time in the workplace. They will probably be doing an average of one online training day per month, but any additional skills development they need will be largely done through activities such as shadowing colleagues, being mentored, project work, workshops, and learning new systems in the business – the types of things any new employee would do.

Young people have no experience

Every experienced employee was once a beginner. Apprenticeships are designed to help young people gain skills while working, even if they don’t have much experience. However, many businesses find that enthusiasm, reliability and willingness to learn are just as valuable as previous experience. Apprenticeships allow employers to develop a young person to fit their business needs exactly.

Taking on an apprentice creates more work for managers

There is always some investment of time when a new employee joins a business, whether an apprentice or not. However, with apprentices, there is the benefit of having an apprenticeship provider who does far more than deliver training. They give a lot of dedicated one-to-one time to help the apprentice develop in their role, so the burden isn’t all on the employer. Apprenticeship providers support both the apprentice and the employer throughout the programme, helping to monitor progress, resolve issues, and provide guidance when needed. 

Young people need too much support

Young people can face challenges both inside and outside the workplace, but employers are not expected to manage these alone.

Apprenticeship providers regularly check in with learners, offer wellbeing support and help identify issues early. They can also work with employers to overcome workplace challenges before they become bigger problems. This support network is often one of the most valuable aspects of apprenticeship programmes.

My business is too small to take on an apprentice

Many small businesses assume apprenticeships are only for larger employers.

In reality, smaller businesses often provide excellent learning environments because apprentices gain experience across a wider range of activities. The new £2,000 incentive has been introduced specifically to encourage smaller employers to create opportunities for young people.

Apprenticeships are only for trades and manual jobs

Apprenticeships cover hundreds of occupations. Today, many apprenticeships are ideal for recruiting young people at entry level, including business administration, marketing, digital, healthcare, childcare, warehousing & logistics, hospitality, and customer service. 

There is a financial cost to apprenticeships

Many employers are surprised by how affordable apprenticeships can be. Government funding covers most of the cost (all of it for 16- to 24-year-olds working in smaller firms). There’s also the new £ 2,000 apprenticeship recruitment incentive for eligible employers, and, of course, the employer NI exemption for under-25s.

When combined with the support that employers can access from apprenticeship providers, apprenticeships can be considered excellent value for money.

The next regional workforce

Thousands of talented young people across the Liverpool City Region will enter the jobs market this summer looking for an employer willing to give them a start. With apprenticeship providers ready to help, the new £2,000 recruitment incentive for eligible employers and all the other benefits, this is a great time to recruit an apprentice.

Creating an apprenticeship vacancy for a young person this summer will not only make a difference to their future but also help grow our region’s next generation of workers.

Find out more and access the support available via our Skills Brokerage Service by CLICKING HERE or by visiting: https://lcrbemore.co.uk/employer-support-brokerage-support/#register