Companies who want to hire more people but feel priced out of the market by the increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) should think about taking on an apprentice and moulding a new staff member for the long term.
Under 25s on apprenticeships earning less than £50,000 per year are exempt from NICs contributions, meaning employers can take on and train people to meet their skills needs.
Anna Clarke, Group Director for employer engagement and partnerships at Milton Keynes College says, “Since the budget we’ve seen a bit of nervousness from some employers when it comes to taking people on because of the increased NICs costs, which is quite understandable when times are tight. It’s been particularly noticeable in areas like finance and business administration. What a lot of them don’t realise is that Under 25s are now exempt from NICs, and working with us they can help to shape a young person’s career while embedding them in their own business culture. Apprentices can bring creativity, energy and new ideas to a business which can make them ideal additions to any team.”
10th to 16th of February is National Apprenticeship Week, and this year’s theme is “Skills for Life,” and Anna believes the business-facing apprenticeships offered by the College provide just that.
“The key thing is,” Anna says, “that we can shape the apprenticeship to teach precisely the skills that an employer needs. For example, if project management is needed, we’ll work through real-life situations that come directly from the employer so the apprentice learns not just about the method, but also the practical reality of how the business works.”
Amelia Peppard is doing an apprenticeship in Business Administration at Huntsmill Farm, the idyllic wedding venue at Shalstone near Milton Keynes. She says, “I’ve always known I wanted to work in the events industry. However, being young, I lacked experience and had limited business knowledge.
Through this apprenticeship, I have gained valuable skills for the workplace, acquired essential business knowledge, and become familiar with various platforms. This apprenticeship has also supported my personal growth, making me much more confident in my current team and in my communication with different suppliers and couples.”
Emily Fensome is Wedding and Events Manager at Huntsmill Farm, and says, “Hiring Amelia as our first apprentice has been such a rewarding and positive experience. Not only have we been able to nurture an employee with little experience into a core team member but also take pride in watching Amelia thrive in skills, ability, and confidence. In an industry where little employment is given to those who don’t have experience, it was great to be able to offer a young individual the opportunity to gain that experience alongside continuing studies. We would highly recommend the apprenticeship programme to any business that would like to grow with the next generation becoming team players.”
To find out more about taking on an apprentice at your business, please contact employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk
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