According to official figures, the number of students applying to higher education has fallen.
According to official figures, the number of students applying to higher education has fallen.
UCAS data shows that 25,000 fewer people applied to start a degree in the UK this year, compared to last year. This is a huge 4% drop in applications!
It would seem that school leavers are considering other options for furthering their training. One of these choices is… you guessed it: apprenticeships.
So when is the best time to take on an apprentice? Many students consider their options after their January exams. However, it’s when GCSE exams finish in June that students’ plans will be finalised- will they stay and study in sixth form or college? Are they aiming to attend university? Or will they take up an apprenticeship instead?
As an employer looking to recruit apprentices, it makes sense to focus effort on your recruitment through the summer months. Start advertising vacancies from July- after all, young people can’t take up the role while still in full time education. The summer months are often quieter in a lot of businesses, particularly avenues like childcare. This ‘low’ period is the perfect time for an apprentice to settle in and learn the ropes before custom picks back up again.
Although July is possibly the best time to advertise for an apprentice, it’s worth considering that some training providers may start their apprenticeship programmes strictly from September, particularly if you’re using a college based provider. Of course, Aspire Training Team offer training all year round!
Rather than searching out your apprentice yourself, it may be easier to hand over the reigns to a specialist provider like Aspire who can find out exactly what you’re looking for, put together a job advert and sort through the candidates for you. Whether you choose to control recruitment yourself or outsource, don’t miss out on the school leavers!
