Any member of your team is eligible for an apprenticeship, it does not matter on their age or previous qualifications, as long as they have the right to work in the UK.

There is a lot of potential in upskilling, particularly when it comes to filling a skills gap. Instead of going through the strenuous process of recruiting a member of staff that may not fit into your team, why not just upskill an existing staff member. Your existing employees are instilled into your company ethos, and understand what it takes to work for your organisation.

This can also be very cost effective, as recruiting someone with the required skills can be extremely expensive for organisations when you consider the advertising costs, new salary, etc. It is also worth taking into consideration that when you first appoint a new member of staff it takes them time to be trained, and this can result in a productivity dip.

With increased skills staff will become more competent in their roles, meaning that the time taken to complete their work reduces resulting in a quicker turnaround and increased workload.

Upskilling your existing employees can also be seen as an effective way of building staff loyalty, as driven members of staff like to see a clear route of progression to meet their high aspirations. When members of staff feel invested into this will increase their productivity and having motivated team members can rub off on their colleagues.