Whilst it can be difficult to know what career you want at a young age, there are many job schemes out there that allow people to dip their toes into a profession. Apprenticeships offer the opportunity to do exactly that – to try out multiple roles within a company and develop a rewarding career path within a chosen industry. In fact, the Government 2021 Research Report shows that 91% of apprentices felt that their apprenticeship had prepared them for what they wanted to do next.

The benefits of apprenticeship schemes are clear:

  • Apprenticeships offer an exciting opportunity to develop the appropriate skills and knowledge that are directly relevant to the job you want, all whilst benefiting from hands-on training.
  • Once completed, you receive industry-recognised qualifications that help improve employability and validate the skills you have learnt.
  • You develop a real understanding of the work environment, learning invaluable and transferable skills such as time management and problem solving.

A government study in 2018 found that 65% of apprentices in the study remained in full-time employment after finishing their apprenticeship, with 85% of these staying with their existing employer.

Not only do apprenticeships provide a successful and proven route into a chosen industry, they also provide businesses with the opportunity to teach business-specific skills in a structured combination of on-the-job and classroom training.

For businesses, apprenticeships are vital in improving talent retention, and studies have found that through these schemes:

  • 80% of employers have maintained or improved future skills in the business
  • 70% of employers have seen improvements in the goods and services they offer
  • 66% of employers have experienced improved staff morale

Reach is always on the lookout for new talent, running a number of apprenticeships within different divisions of our business to nurture the next generation of innovators within the print industry, and invest in people’s careers.

Want to find out more about apprenticeships at Reach?

Our colleague, Michael, recently spoke with InPublishing about his time as an apprentice at our Cardonald site – you can read all about it here.