Small-business employers have just a month left to apply for National Apprenticeship Awards

Few employers, with the exception of manufacturers and skilled trades, consider taking on apprentices. There are 4.7 million small businesses in the UK, but, according to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which is holding its National Apprenticeship Awards on 27 February 2009, only 130,000 companies offer apprenticeships. The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is urging entrepreneurs across all industry sectors to consider whether apprenticeships can benefit their businesses.

There is a clear gap between what businesses need and what businesses get when it comes to the ability of the traditional education system to produce viable employees for small businesses, said Nick Palin, the FPB's Director of Human Resources. Our members tell us they find it difficult to recruit employees with basic attributes, let alone the more developed and specific skills required by some businesses.

He added: The FPB believes that apprenticeships could provide a solution, and is encouraging businesses benefitting from apprenticeship schemes to come forward and apply for these awards, and tell their stories to others.

Apprenticeships could be the route to developing the skilled, knowledgeable staff base required by most small businesses. Research carried out by the FPB in August 2008 showed that the skills and aptitude of many school- and university-leavers is not meeting the needs of small businesses.

The majority of the small businesses surveyed said that they value school- and college-leavers over graduates and postgraduates. Just 11% said they seek out graduates or postgraduates when recruiting, but almost double (20%) prefer younger employees, fresh from school or college. In addition, 77.4% of small-business employers do not require employees with ëuniversity' skills, while 35.5% want people with technical skills that are not provided by universities.

Only 11% gave top marks to young workers meeting specific business needs, such as customer service, sales and marketing, compared to 45% who stated that this specific skills base was ëpoor' or ëvery poor'.

Basic skills valued by employers are literacy, numeracy, English language communication and basic ICT skills, such as using email. However, the FPB's research shows that the skills levels of graduates entering the workplace is considered merely ëaverage' by 68% of small-business employers, and 18% of small-business-owners (almost one in five) feel that labour force skills are ëpoor' or ëvery poor'.

Of the employability attributes deemed to be ëcrucial' by business-owners, a willingness to learn is the most important (57.1%), followed by a work ethic and professional approach (42.9%), and team working (25.9%). Interpersonal skills are also key, with 60.7% considering them to be ëimportant' and 19.6% ëcrucial'. However, 15% believe the current labour market is not providing workers who have these attributes.

The National Apprenticeship Awards, now in their sixth year, are designed to recognise employers successfully using apprenticeships to improve the performance of their businesses. Entries come from companies operating in sectors from accountancy and engineering to construction, creative industries and sport. The winnersí event will be held on 16 July 2009 at Old Billingsgate Market, Central London.

According to the LSC, the benefits of apprenticeship schemes include:

- Positive return on investment
- Increased competitiveness
- Increased productivity
- Higher quality of work
- Reduced costs
- Improved recruitment
- Increased staff retention
- Higher employee satisfaction and motivation
- More potential for career progression
- More efficient use of new technology
- Supplementing an ageing work force
- Widening the talent pool and attracting more diverse markets

To apply for the 2009 awards, call 0800 954 8896 or visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk/awards.

For more information on employment issues, and the FPBís campaign to help improve education and skills, call 0845 130 1722 or visit www.fpb.org.