Tech businesses 'need apprentices for growth'

Technology apprenticeships can help drive forward business innovation and growth, benefitting both the young people undertaking them and the nation's employers.

This is the view of Stephen Bushell, director of marketing for Proband, Icomm Technologies and Mercato Solutions, who outlined in a post for the Information Daily the many reasons why companies should look to take on apprentices.

He noted that this kind of training helps to bridge the gap between education and the workplace, offering opportunities to teenagers with untapped talent.

Furthermore, firms rolling out technology apprenticeships in particular need the energy and familiarity with digital systems that young people possess.

Mr Bushell said: "Within the technology sector there is a growing appetite for young apprentices, with the government recently announcing plans to provide additional financial support to those taking on a role within this sector."

The apprentices themselves will get a lot out of a tech-based training programme, with benefits including the fact that technology is a flourishing industry and there is the chance to work with some of the most exciting and innovative platforms on the market.

"Technology fundamentally changes the way that people do business and it is constantly evolving. Apprentices who can play a part in that will develop skills that can underpin an entire career," Mr Bushell explained.

According to the expert, it is now time for the government, the technology sector and training providers to join forces to ensure that the apprentices of the future realise that a tech career is well within their reach.

This comes after the National Apprenticeship Service recently made a similar plea, and called for businesses to host activities and workshops promoting their individual vocational training schemes ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, which kicks off on March 3rd.

The event is designed to show young people that there are many routes into work available to them besides going to university, and less traditional paths could actually be more beneficial to their career development.