National Apprenticeship Week – Putting skills development at the heart of CHH’s growth strategy

Celebrations are underway up and down the country to mark National Apprenticeship Week 2024. From 5th to 11th February, the 17th annual event is bringing together employers, students and colleges to promote the value of apprenticeships in developing future talent. At CHH we understand that people are our greatest asset, and we are embracing apprenticeships as a way of developing our staff and ensuring we have the skills we need to deliver our ambitious growth strategy.

National Apprenticeship Week is all about shining a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. This year’s theme is “Skills for Life”, and businesses and employees alike are being encouraged to consider how apprenticeships help develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career and future-fit workforce.

With more than 1,200 virtual and in-person events, National Apprenticeship Week 2024 is showcasing the value that apprenticeships offer businesses and the wider community. For employers, that means developing the skills and know-how they need to remain competitive. Be it getting recruits ready for their new role, or supporting existing employees to upskill, apprenticeships are invaluable.

CHH is on an impressive growth trajectory, but we cannot maintain that without access to talent. We believe that apprenticeships offer an ideal route to sustaining a skilled workforce. Three of our staff have recently completed their programmes. Our Maintenance Engineer Josh Willner has just celebrated the completion of his Mechatronics Maintenance/Engineering Technician Level 3 and his partner Elisha Colledge is using her Business Admin Level 3 to support her in her role as Warehouse Administrator. Meanwhile, Mechanical Engineer Ashley Perrins is seeing the benefits of his own apprenticeship, Manufacturing/Engineering Principles HNC.

We have seen for ourselves the impact apprenticeships have on meeting skills shortages and we are committed to increasing our uptake. We are for instance in the process of recruiting two new people to take on New Business Development roles and will be enrolling them on a Level 4 Sales Apprenticeship.

CHH’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Turner said: “National Apprenticeship Week 2024 offers an opportunity to focus attention on how businesses can use apprenticeships to meet their goals. For CHH we are reaping the rewards of going down this route as a way of developing new and existing talent. We will continue exploring new opportunities, including looking at how we might start to offer higher level apprenticeships for more senior members of the team.”

There are over 800 types of apprenticeships across 15 sectors and are available at different levels, starting from a GCSE equivalent to a university degree equivalent qualification. At a time when many businesses are struggling to fill the skills gap, apprenticeships provide access to fresh talent and support the continuous professional development of valued team members.

Training can be aligned to the specific needs of the business and according to a study by The St Martin’s Group, UK employers see an average annual gain of £2,500 to £18,000 in output per apprentice during their training period. CHH will continue to embrace apprenticeships to develop our team and take the business to the next level.

To learn more about National Apprenticeship Week 2024, please visit: www.naw.appawards.co.uk