The Peninsula Group has been celebrating National Apprenticeship Week all this week, March 6 to 10, with a series of activities and events to celebrate the positive impact apprenticeships have on individuals, businesses and the economy.
Now in its 10th year, the overarching theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2017 is Ladder of Opportunity, focusing on the progression routes of apprenticeships, from traineeships through to higher and degree apprenticeships.
Despite the stigma which still surrounds apprenticeships, specifically relating to the financial and time constraints of training less experienced employees, The Peninsula Group favours the use of apprenticeship schemes as a positive method to gain competitive advantage through increased diversity in the workforce and fresh industry insight. This is in line with GOV.UK who found that 89% of businesses report that apprenticeships have helped improve the quality of their product or service.
Peter Done, Managing Director and founder of Peninsula said: “We’re really proud of our apprentices and the programme. As a forward thinking business, we always look to nurture the potential of our team members, and our apprenticeship programmes allow us to do that. Not only has offering an apprenticeship scheme provided a starting point for our apprentices to launch their careers, but their enthusiasm and thirst for growth has helped us improve upon the service we offer our clients.“
“Regardless of the size of your business, apprenticeships are a fantastic way to tap into the next generation of talent who each come with a unique set of skills and creative new ideas. As a business, Peninsula’s framework is built upon learning and development, which is why offering apprenticeships which emphasise this makes perfect sense. It has been great to watch our apprentices grow in confidence, co-developing their own roadmap to success.“
Apprenticeships offer an enriching balance between theoretical learning and on-the-job practical training, which is invaluable for younger generations in helping them get onto the career ladder.
Sarah Boniface, one time apprentice who has now just graduated to HR Documentation Consultant at Peninsula said: “I have found my time at Peninsula to be enjoyable and a great learning experience. I enjoy learning on the job as I get to physically experience situation, I hope to continue building upon my current knowledge and skills, as well as a future within Peninsula.“
