Do apprenticeships have a part to play in the tech world?

The rapid digital transformation we’ve seen across the world of work over the last ten years has undoubtedly changed and propelled many industries into a new way of working. For some organisations this has increased growth, and others have had to adapt as the tech skills available needed to support vast change are still not as easy to access.

Despite a number of the world’s largest tech organisations reducing their workforce in the last couple of months, the narrative of skills shortages across technology still remains. Whilst there’s plenty of strategies that employers can use to address the sparse pipelines of technology talent, one area to focus on is apprenticeships as National Apprenticeship Week takes place this February.

Apprenticeships have long been associated with vocational careers which have proven successful; however, the typical assumption is that apprenticeships are only accessed by school leavers who aren’t going into further education. Positively, the Government has recently announced that school and college leavers will be able to access apprenticeship opportunities alongside undergraduate courses via the UCAS website, so they can review their options in the same place.

Although the apprenticeship levy and its constraints continue to draw criticism from some, the opportunities employers can unlock if they work with the right partner can facilitate apprenticeships across the majority of sectors including technology.
 

Technology apprenticeships – do the numbers add up?

In data from our Hays UK Salary & Recruiting trends 2023, when asked what actions they had taken to address skills shortages, less than a fifth (18%) of organisations looking for tech talent have recruited apprenticeships.

Analysing data available, during 2022 there were 8,820 active apprenticeships within information and communication technology, with data analyst and data technician routes being the most popular. For areas continually sought after by employers, including cyber and AI, numbers are much lower with just 110 apprentices taking part in the route to become a cyber security technologist in 2021.

Why? Implementing apprenticeships can require a huge amount of resource from employers, alongside compliance and regulations and being able to successfully promote the apprenticeships available to a wide range of candidates.

However, many employers have successfully run and continue to build their apprenticeship programmes for tech professionals. Big names such as Vodafone, Meta and Accenture are all actively hiring for apprentices in this field in a bid to source a wide range of talent into their organisations.

Not only this but developing apprenticeships schemes can help encourage diverse and inclusive workspaces, however there’s plenty work to be done in making sure apprenticeships are as accessible as possible.
 

Facilitating better opportunities for apprenticeships

As of the beginning of this year, Hays has now been listed on the Register of Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies. As a facilitator between employers and those looking for their first or next opportunity, this listing ensures we can support employers to bring the skills they need to life as part of a flexible apprenticeship programme.

Our approach will support employers (of all sizes) to recruit talent from a much wider pool or undiscovered talent where they do not have the expertise or capacity to introduce different recruitment approaches or provide the ongoing daily support needed for individuals. Digital skills gaps have been well documented, however traditional recruitment practices mean that many potential candidates including those from diverse backgrounds are often overlooked. This includes candidates from across the neurodiverse spectrum.

It's just the start of our journey, and initially we’ll be looking to address skills shortages in specific higher level digital and analytical roles, providing clear routes to permanent employment in digital occupations to professionals who might otherwise be discounted through Higher Apprenticeships. We’re also expanding this to the construction industry to support skills gaps which are likely to intensify due to an ageing workforce and new developments and requirements in this area.

To find out more, contact our Hays Skills team via skills@hays.com