Justice sector needs apprentice boost
Almost two thirds of employers in the justice and community safety sectors do not employ apprentices, according to research by Skills for Justice.
As the UK prepares for National Apprenticeship Week, March 3-7 2014, many businesses still have a lack of understanding when it comes to hiring apprentices.
The study found that this lack of understanding is preventing more than half of employers within the justice sector from taking on apprentices, despite the fact that the research highlighted that businesses are willing to spend money on training – almost 88% of firms surveyed said they had funded other on-the-job training in the last 12 months.
Fewer than one in three justice sector employers have a full understanding of where Apprenticeships can add value to their organisation.
Jon Parry, Head of Research at Skills for Justice, said: “Apprenticeships have grown in stature over the last few years, but this shows that more needs to be done to educate firms on the benefits they can bring.
“Gone are the days when Apprenticeships were limited to manual trades. Now there are more than 200 different types of Apprenticeships, covering a diverse range of careers including law enforcement, legal services and fire and rescue services.
“Apprenticeships are inexpensive, inclusive and hugely beneficial to businesses.”
The research shows that 48% of justice sector employers had little or no understanding of who is eligible for Apprenticeships.
The same number had little or no understanding of how much Apprenticeships cost employers, and 49.4% of justice sector employers had little or no understanding of the different levels of Apprenticeships.
Apprentices can be any age – more than 34,000 over 50s started an Apprenticeship in 2012/13 – and their earning capabilities could be improved by £150,000 if studied to Level 4, equivalent to the first year of a degree.
Skills for Justiceis part of JSSC group, which is an independent, employer-led charity working to ensure employers have employees with the necessary skills to be productive, efficient and effective.
It was heavily involved in the launch of the Levels 3 and 4 Apprenticeships in Legal Services in 2013 and the pilot of the UK’s first Home Office Policing Apprenticeship, which is currently ongoing.
