For National Apprenticeship Week, Dave Draper, Managing Director of TDA Recruitment Group, tells us about his experience with the #RECApprenticeship scheme.
I like the idea of people coming on board who want to learn and want to work. A candidate who has gained recruitment experience via an apprenticeship can describe working full time, day in day out, in a live working environment. Their achievements as an apprentice are extremely valuable. When I heard about the recruitment apprenticeship scheme through provider MiddletonMurray, I went for it.
What it’s like to take on an apprentice
We have treated apprentices like full-time employees from the start. They came in and performed well beyond expectations, and are really keen to develop and learn. They have been treated as equal members of the team from their first day, even during their six week trial. Our apprentices are targeted, they have objectives to hit, and we chose the people who had the right attitude.
Sometimes it’s their first working environment, which can be quite daunting, but we’ve made our apprentices feel welcome. I believe at TDA we’re very strong in spotting talent and giving people without explicit industry experience a grounding in the recruitment world, be it through a recruitment apprenticeship or a direct hire. We integrate people into the team from day one. Seeing people grow in confidence and develop their skills is a really rewarding part of the apprenticeship scheme.
We’ve seen business benefits across the board
We have had apprentices on the recruitment course as well as the administration course so we have benefited from a mix of different skills which have complemented the team and what we do.
The apprentices we’ve had have shown an appetite for learning. Apprentices may not be in a position to go to university, so they’re very focused on working hard to get a start in a career.
Having the guidance provided through the apprenticeship scheme has helped. It’s not just about what they do with us, but they also have that intermediary where they’re following the framework. Apprentices are very committed to the framework and making sure they do what they need to do.
All of the three apprentices we’ve had have been successful in getting permanent full time jobs, so for us there’s been a 100 per cent conversion rate. That’s a testament in itself.
What’s next?
We had two new apprentices start recently. One has come into the recruitment team and the other into business administration, supporting a previous apprentice who is now a team leader – proof that good people can progress fast through the apprenticeship programme.
Hiring apprentices will continue to be part of our business moving forward. I would definitely recommend it because it’s worked well for us and the apprentices within our business.
To find out more about apprenticeships in recruitment, visit www.rec.uk.com/apprenticeships.
National Apprenticeship Week is co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service to celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
