Now is the time to employ an apprentice

Research conducted by Cornwall Chamber of Commerce has found 74% of businesses in the county are predicting growth in 2016. Almost half of Cornish businesses are currently recruiting to cover rising demand while 67% are struggling to find the right people. Apprenticeships offer the perfect solution to this, allowing businesses to grow their own talent or upskill current staff who are capable of expanding their knowledge and responsibilities.

When using Apprenticeships to aid recruitment, finding the right people is a top priority for any business. Customer Development Manager Tom Moran talks us through how the Apprenticeship team at Truro and Penwith College works with businesses to find the perfect fit for both employer and Apprentice:

“The first step is for us to meet with the employer, it is incredibly important that we understand the business, what their short and long term goals are, the nature of the role and the qualities they are looking for in the individual. We are really proud of our partnerships with local businesses and this initial consultation gives us a really solid foundation to build upon.

“Next we work with the employer to advertise the vacancy. We have a number of tools at our disposal such as a talent bank of applicants and internal Job Shops at the College. The Apprentice will be an employee of the business and we ask the employer to work with us to help promote the position which can be achieved in a variety of ways including promoting the vacancy at the employer’s premises, social media and inclusion in the careers area of their website for example.

“The recruitment process itself can be very time consuming for an employer, we work with businesses of all sizes and help with this on a number of different levels. We always screen applicants and their CVs before sending them through to the employer, this comes from our earlier consultation where we will have confirmed any specific requirements such as applicants needing a full UK driving license or perhaps previous experience in a given area. All applicants that fit the criteria can either be sent to the employer or we can arrange the entire interview process from start to finish, the extent to which we get involved is again agreed during our consultations, we can even be part of the interview panel.”

Over 200 people attended a recent Apprenticeship information event at Truro College and many took the opportunity to start the application process. With Apprenticeships continuing to get more coverage in the media and grow in popularity now is the time to contact our team and find out how they can benefit your business.

T: 01872 242711

E: Apprenticeships@truro-penwith.ac.uk