Business owners know that one of the things they need to be on top of is the quality of your workforce. A lean and efficient team could still take on significant undertakings, while a large yet mismatched team could potentially botch even the smallest of projects. Having a balanced workforce, a mix of different talents, backgrounds and capabilities, means that you’ll get jobs done more efficiently.
However, you’d be wrong in thinking that having a balanced workforce means having high performers and people that need minimal supervision. Experts believe that achieving the right mix of people means including learners and trainees in the group. Human resource professionals list down several ways this could be advantageous to your business.
1. It can be a cost-effective resource.
This is the number one reason other business owners give for hiring trainees or apprentices since it ultimately affects your company’s bottom line. Hiring a skilled worker would mean shelling out top dollars for salaries and wages but taking on an intern means you can make cuts in your budget. However, take note that this is not cheap labour, and any employer found abusing this system could face legal repercussions.
2. You can customize your training programme to fit your needs.
Every business has its own unique needs. It doesn’t matter if you’re offering the same products and services as other businesses in your industry, you will eventually face challenges and hurdles that are particular to your company. If you decide to go the apprenticeship route, you can customize your learning and development programmes to ensure that you are addressing the issues specific to your organization.
3. You help out your local community.
By offering internships, you are opening your doors to people in your area of operation. Thus, you are creating employment opportunities. This is especially helpful in struggling communities with many unskilled workers. You are providing openings for people that find it difficult to look for or hold down jobs. Similarly, you could approach technical vocation schools and be a partner in their traineeship programmes. Not only will you be helping out local youths, but you are also providing them with useful life skills.
4. inigDevelop your team’s leadership and supervisory skills.
The greatest teachers often say that learning is a two-way street, and nowhere is this more evident than in a workplace that employs interns. If your programme does well, not only will your interns learn about the business and the industry, your more tenured employees will also gain leadership skills as they learn to manage your interns.
5. It will aid in future-proofing your business.
One of the biggest perks other business owners have reported about employing (and taking care of) interns is that they created loyal and passionate workers. By ensuring that you are giving them exactly what they need to succeed, most interns tend to excel at their positions and typically get offered long-term positions. In this way, your apprenticeship programmes are able to keep your human resource pipeline strong and up to date.
Many young people nowadays prefer hands-on experiences for learning in the classroom. By providing them with these programmes and giving them the skills they need to succeed, you are helping to cultivate a culture filled with purpose and passion.