New research from ILM reveals that more than half (59 per cent) of the UK’s HR professionals are not aware of new standards that enable apprenticeships to address the critical needs of their business.
At the end of 2016, ILM identified a major leadership skills gap in organisations across the UK. Research reveals that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of employees lack trustworthy or inspirational leaders, and just a third (31 per cent) of employers feel confident in their current supply of leadership talent.
Yet many organisations do not realise the potential for next-generation apprenticeships to address this skills gap; a quarter of senior leaders (25 per cent) don’t value leadership and management apprenticeships.
However, the upcoming changes relax prior achievement rules, meaning that existing managers, directors and senior officials, as well as new recruits, can now receive senior leadership development funded via the apprenticeship levy.
Separate research released this week by ILM’s sister company, City & Guilds, finds that management positions are the hardest to fill, and that almost half (47 per cent) of businesses will focus recruitment efforts to meet this demand.
However, just a fifth (19 per cent) of respondents are aware that managers, directors and senior official job roles could be occupied by apprentices.
John Yates, group director at ILM, comments, ‘The levy provides the ideal opportunity for employers to start re-assessing their approach to learning and development overall, and to look again at the potential for apprenticeships to provide the talent they urgently need.
‘Now that funding can be used to develop managers at all levels, whether they are existing employees or new recruits, it is the ideal way to invest in equipping current and future leaders with the skills that are so crucial for business success.’
Further reading on apprenticeships
