How apprenticeships benefit seafood businesses
National Apprenticeship Week (which runs 3-9 February 2020) is an annual celebration of apprenticeships which brings the whole apprenticeship community together to celebrate the impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers and the economy.
Apprenticeships are available for many job roles across all sectors of the £10bn seafood industry, from fishing and aquaculture to seafood processing and manufacturing, fishmongering and fish frying – but take-up is low.
National Apprenticeship Week is a fantastic opportunity to promote some of the relevant apprenticeships available to employers in the seafood industry and encourage businesses to consider taking advantage of the government funding available to recruit and employ more apprentices.
All employers know that well-trained and motivated staff members are vital to business success. Apprenticeships give apprentices the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills while working. Some of the benefits for employers taking on apprentices include:
- Opportunity to train and develop staff so that they have skills directly relevant to your business operations
- Ability to attract new talent – advertising available role with an apprenticeship can encourage a greater number, and higher quality of applications
- Reduction in staff turnover as apprentices are more likely to remain in post through to completion of their apprenticeships and because they are earning whilst they are learning
- Access to significant government funding to subsidise the cost of staff training and development
Onshore, bespoke apprenticeships exist at multiple levels for operatives, supervisors and managers across a wide range of roles in the processing and manufacturing, fishmongering and fish frying sectors of the seafood industry.
Offshore, a sea fishing apprenticeship is available for deckhands and a range of other maritime apprenticeships are also available for deck and engineer job roles at multiple levels.
For aquaculture operators, Lantra Scotland has developed aquaculture apprenticeships at three levels, providing a progression route and career-development path from first-entry to the aquaculture industry to senior management positions.
Employing an Apprentice is easier than you think and there is financial help and support available from the government. All seafood employers, regardless of whether or not they are liable for the Apprenticeship Levy, can take advantage of government funding to take on Apprentices – visit the Government’s Apprenticeships website to find out more. Or give Seafish a call on 01472 252300 to discuss other new entrant training options. What are you waiting for?