Organisations approach the management apprenticeships opportunity for a variety of reasons. They may be looking to tackle the problems of ‘accidental’ managers who have been promoted without necessary leadership training, close skill gaps, where managers are not equipped to lead in a modern organisation, or improve retention and engagement by supporting their existing employees with comprehensive development programmes.
They also may be looking for an impactful return on their Apprenticeship Levy payments, which can represent an invaluable, ringfenced pot of funds to use for learning and development programmes, even during turbulent trading conditions and within unpredictable markets.
When the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) employed a market research consultancy to explore the impact of management apprenticeships, a number of areas rose to the surface and all shed some light on why the management apprenticeship standards have been amongst the most popular standards for many years. Below, with data and references from the apprentices and employers that were interviewed, you can read about these positive changes in two themes:
Tangible
The benefits below show impact of a more quantifiable nature. Each of the examples emerged from an interviewed management apprentice or employer, or reflects a trend that could be seen across many of them.
Financial
- An increase of more than 10% on margins due to the implementation of new systems
- Company growth of 60% due to an international trade effort the apprentice helped to facilitate
Internal Progression
- ~60% of completed management apprentices achieved an internal promotion
- One employer reduced the progression time from ‘entry level’ to ‘branch manager’ positions from 15 years to 6
New Processes
- Achievement of ISO certifications
- The implementation of a new VAT management system, significantly improving cashflow
- Increasing the use of an IT self-serve portal from ~30% to ~70%
Time Savings
- An increase of more than 10% on margins due to the implementation of new systems
- Company growth of 60% due to an international trade effort the apprentice helped to facilitate
Recruitment & Retention
- ~60% of completed management apprentices achieved an internal promotion
- One employer reduced the progression time from ‘entry level’ to ‘branch manager’ positions from 15 years to 6
Intangible
Whilst hard to quantify with facts and figures, the impacts below represent the real learning and development experiences of apprentices and day-to-day reflections of their employers. Interestingly, they are in line with some of the benefits and impacts we hear about – also from both apprentices themselves and their employers.
Leadership
- Better ability to support and develop team’s capabilities and strengths
- Identifying who works well together to improve productivity and working relationships
- Familiarity with different management/leadership styles and the ability to adapt to changing environments and different occasions
Feedback Systems
- Implementation of 360-degree feedback systems and improved feedback processes
- Better ability to spot and diagnose problems early, and take appropriate action
- More open communication and more collaborative ways of working
Engagement
- Apprentices feel more engaged with and better understand the organisation and its processes
- Feel valued by their employer due to being supported with the apprenticeship
Confidence
- Better ability to support and develop team’s capabilities and strengths
- Identifying who works well together to improve productivity and working relationships
- Familiarity with different management/leadership styles and the ability to adapt to changing environments and different occasions
Networking
- Implementation of 360-degree feedback systems and improved feedback processes
- Better ability to spot and diagnose problems early, and take appropriate action
- More open communication and more collaborative ways of working
You can read the full piece of research – “Unlocking the Impact and Value of Management Apprentices” – on CMI’s website here.
Eliesha’s delivery of the Level 3 (Team Leader/Supervisor) and Level 5 (Operations/Departmental Manager) apprenticeships can help you turn your Apprenticeship Levy into a comprehensive leadership development programme which brings about all the benefits listed above, and more. If you don’t pay the Levy, we can help you access non-Levy funding to do the same.
We’ve helped dozens of employers and hundreds of apprentices as an apprenticeship training provider and, with ‘open’ programmes starting later this year and available with no minimum numbers, it’s never been easier to take advantage of this unmissable opportunity. Get in touch using via our Talk to Us page and we’ll get back to you soon!
