Why do you feel so strongly about promoting and celebrating apprenticeships?
BCS believes that investing in apprenticeships is not only important today but is absolutely vital for the long term. They play a critical role in plugging skills gaps and in helping to modernise the workforce, ensuring that employers’ evolving skills needs, for example in dynamic IT and tech occupations, can be met.
We want to engage more businesses and individuals to benefit from apprenticeships and help to challenge some of the misconceptions that still exist. There are so many fabulous examples, from the National Apprenticeship Awards alone, of the value-add apprenticeships give organisations and individuals’ careers, and it’s important to shout about these successes so that others can see the fantastic opportunities apprenticeships present.
Why do you feel proud to sponsor SME Employer of the year category?
We are immensely proud to sponsor the SME employer of the year, as part of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2019 recognising the significant role small and medium sized employers play in apprenticeships across all occupations and sectors.
As the Chartered Institute for IT, BCS recognises that all businesses and individuals experience the impact of technology daily. We are seeing how digital skills delivered and assessed through high quality apprenticeships can ensure that organisations, of all sizes, and their employees are geared up to operate securely, ethically and are able to adapt to the pace of technological change.
SMEs represent a huge percentage of the UK’s GPD, and employ over 16 million people - BCS is delighted to support this category in recognition of the valuable role they play in training and upskilling new talent which is vital to our economy.
What role do apprentices play within your own organisation?
BCS is a huge advocate in the value apprentices bring to an organisation. Over the past few years we have recruited and developed new talent through the apprenticeship programmes across several business functions such as IT, customer service, PR and marketing and will continue to do so.
Our apprentices are valued for their personal contribution, who in our experience have quickly put into practise the new skills they have learnt, bringing fresh ideas and thinking into our organisation.
It has been extremely rewarding to see employees grow and progress not only in their careers, but as confident professionals whom we are tremendously proud of. Some of which have been amazing apprenticeship ambassadors, inspiring others through sharing their apprenticeship journey through blogs and videos, events, school career fairs, TV and radio.
What message would you give to all this years’ finalists ahead of the national ceremony on 27th November?
We have nothing but admiration for all the SME finalists this year. Investing in and growing talent takes time and commitment which can present challenges for large businesses let alone small enterprises. Every one of the finalists are role models to the wider SME community, demonstrating the positive results that can be achieved through employing apprentices, especially when they are integrated into the vision and direction of the business. Our congratulations to every one of you and thank you for championing training and development through apprenticeships.
Who we are: As the Chartered Institute for IT, we represent over 62,000 individuals in the IT and Digital sector and we are also a leading end point assessment organisation working with employers and training providers to support over 14,000 registered digital apprentices. To date, we have assessed 3,500 IT & Digital EPAs and counting
