Apprenticeships: more than a numbers game, says Campbell

Getting the most out of the UK’s growing number of apprentices is more than just a numbers game, and will be achieved only through a rigorous talent management process to find and retain the best people, according to Tim Campbell, MBE, the first winner of BBC television’s The Apprentice series and now head of client services for emerging talent at Alexander Mann Solutions.
Thu, 25 Jul 2013Getting the most out of the UK’s growing number of apprentices is more than just a numbers game, and will be achieved only through a rigorous talent management process to find and retain the best people, according to Tim Campbell, MBE, the first winner of BBC television’s The Apprentice series and now head of client services for emerging talent at Alexander Mann Solutions.

Campbell predicts that, based on trends over the past four years, during which the number of UK apprenticeships has soared from 279,690 in 2009 to 520,600 in 2012, the number of apprentices will rise by over 50% to 800,000 by 2018.

However, he cautions: “Making the most of the growing numbers of successful apprentices means getting to the heart of their values and skills, and introducing a rigorous talent management process to find and keep the best people.”

Campbell says the continuing growth in apprenticeships is being driven by the training approach becoming more popular with young people and also by more employers seeing their value. “There are many bright young people actively opting for apprenticeships over university degrees, and job opportunities for apprentices are growing as employers understand the value they deliver,” he says.

“Some 80% of workplaces employing apprentices agree that they make the workplace more productive [based on research by the National Apprenticeship Service], ” he adds.   

For more of what Campbell is doing at AMS, read our profile interview with him on pp28-30 of the July 2013 issue of Recruiter.

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