Written by IFF Research

Apprenticeship Employer Incentive Scheme research published

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A research study assessing the impact of the Apprenticeship Employer Incentive Scheme on supporting businesses to create apprenticeships for 16 – 19 year olds has recently been published by Welsh Government, showing generally positive findings in regard to the impact of and satisfaction with the scheme.

IFF explored the views the views of participating providers and employers into the Apprenticeship Employer Incentive Scheme, which offered financial incentives (of c £2,500-£3,500) to employers to take on young apprentices.

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The findings relate to five core themes:

  • Employer and provider perceptions of the EIS
  • Information about the EIS
  • Application process and payment
  • The view of structural elements of the EIS
  • Impact and satisfaction

The study included in-depth interviews with participating providers and employers, and an online survey of employers who had taken on apprentices via the scheme.

Key findings include:

  • 72% of the SMEs had never recruited an apprentice previously, and 55% said that without the incentive payment they would either definitely not, or have been unlikely to, have taken on an apprentice
  • Aside from the incentive, other reasons for taking on an apprentice included: filling skills gaps (84%), the quality of apprenticeship training (84%) and corporate social responsibility and supporting young people (72%)
  • 85% of employers said they intended (at the time of recruitment) to employ the apprentice(s) they took on via the scheme in a permanent role within their company on completion

Read the full report here.