90% of BT apprentices convert to full-time team members

With a large proportion of small business owners seeking specifically skilled individuals to expand and secure the future of their business post-retirement, modern apprenticeships are presently providing an adaptable solution.

But are small business owners fully aware of all the benefits an apprentice could provide? Overseeing a scheme that occupies over 700 trainees every three year cycle, Dave Walsh, head of apprenticeships at BT, seemed the perfect candidate to quiz on the merits of modern apprenticeships and their value to small businesses.

Dan Drage: How many apprentices does BT recruit across a 12-month period?

Dave Walsh: It varies due to business requirements year by year and also where our skill shortages are. Typically, over the last five years, the figure stands at around 300 per year. We’ve currently got 730 apprentices in learning across the three years of the scheme.

Everyone who joins the scheme receives a lot of dedicated support and encouragement and the whole thrust of the programme is that we’re recruiting people to be the future of our business

DD: What’s the percentage of these apprentices that convert into fully fledged team members?

DW: It’s currently in the region of 90%.

DD: Wow, that’s really high! What would you attribute this success rate to?

DW: We’ve done a lot of work developing our scheme since we introduced our apprentice programme back in 1996, and we’ve got a dedicated team of management and coaches that focus purely on our apprentices. Everyone who joins the scheme receives a lot of dedicated support and encouragement and the whole thrust of the programme is that we’re recruiting people to be the future of our business.

This level of additional support to the core requirements of an apprenticeship scheme was one of the key reasons that BT was recognised as the Macro Employer of the Year at the 2009 LSC Apprenticeship Awards. This is our key consideration.

DD: Do apprenticeship schemes at BT stretch beyond electrical engineering?

DW: We offer customer service, administration, mechanics, telecoms and IT apprenticeships, and each of these areas incorporates level 2, level 3 and level 4 schemes. We are currently looking at roles that have traditionally not utilised apprenticeships though, such as HR, marketing and design, in a bid to introduce these schemes into the BT apprenticeship programme.

DD: Do these apprenticeship schemes work alongside a further education course, or are they mutually exclusive?

DW: They’re intertwined. The output of an apprenticeship is unique in that it focuses on competence. The competence sign off is conducted via an NVQ, and this award demonstrates a particular activity has been completed to standard.

If, for instance, you were learning to attach equipment to a wall, you would require the apprentice to demonstrate that activity across all the different types of wall structure they could encounter. This provides confidence that the skill can be carried out as required at all times.

Furthermore, to support the skills, you need underpinning knowledge, and that knowledge is provided by BTEC for an advanced apprentice or a foundation degree for a higher apprentice. You take that academic, underpinning knowledge into the workplace, and you use that knowledge to develop skills that are of commercial use to the business. An apprenticeship is only complete when you demonstrate you can adequately perform those commercially crucial skills.

DD: Do your apprenticeship schemes put a distinct emphasis on real world situations?

DW: Yes, for sure. Knowledge is valuable, but it needs to be applied in the real world to make the commercial difference. Applying knowledge is a skill in its own right. If you’re going out to find a fault in the exchange, you need both the theory and the requisite practical skills.

DD: How do you select your apprentices?

DW: Potential apprentices sign up to www.bt4me.co.uk and we then send them email updates about our scheme. Should they wish to proceed with their application, they then fill out an online application form.

We review this application, and if we believe the candidate’s application should progress, we invite them to a recruitment hub, which is effectively an assessment day. At this event, we can look at the candidate, the candidate can look at us, and by the end of the day offers of apprenticeship are made to the candidates that best meet our requirements.

DD: What are the qualities you look for in an apprentice?

DW: Boundless enthusiasm and a positive attitude is everything. We’re not necessarily looking for the knowledge and skills at this stage, but we are looking for someone who is keen to work in a team, generate ideas, assimilate knowledge, interact with the public and learn the ropes. We also like candidates who have researched the company and have a passion for what we do.

DD: Is it primarily school-leavers that enquire on the apprenticeship scheme, or do you have a span of ages approaching you?

DW: We recruit across a whole age range, from 16 to those in their mid 30s who are looking to make a career change. Our scheme is most popular with 16, 17 and 18 year olds though.

DD: The apprentices that convert to fully fledged employees, how valuable are they to BT?

DW: They’re essential. Age diversity is a key element for us; our customer base spans all ages, and our workforce should reflect that so we can satisfy all of our customer’s needs. We need to connect with the products and services used by young people especially, so we constantly bring young people into the business. A high proportion of our current senior managers are ex-apprentices.

DD: Taking on an apprentice can sometimes seem like another job on an endless “to do” list for small business owners. Is the outcome from taking on an apprentice worth the journey and investment?

DW: Absolutely! If you’re the head of a small company and you want people to work for you who know the business from the ground up, and do things how you do them, without supervision, then an apprentice is the answer. You could try to buy in that style of employee, but you would arguably get better results by putting someone through a structured development programme.

Small business owners should look locally for group training associations and colleges that run courses in their given areas. There is some bureaucracy for sure, but that bureaucracy is necessary to make sure the output fits your requirements and we at BT are working closely with the government to try and reduce that bureaucracy in the future.

If small business owners are considering taking on an apprentice but don’t know where to get help and advice, they should approach the Apprentice Ambassadors Network or the National Apprentice Service. These organisations will do a lot of the leg work for you.

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