Jon Graham, chief executive of JTL, outlines how you and your business can benefit from taking on an apprentice and how to go about it.

So here we are – summer may be having a final blast but the nights are drawing in and people are getting back to work after the holidays. I hope you are finding that business is picking up and that you are starting to think that perhaps you could do with a hand. But is the thought of all that hassle putting you off?

Well, there is a solution – an apprentice – and before you dismiss the idea, just give it a moment’s thought. In my previous two blogs, I have examined the benefits of apprenticeships in general but now is the time to take that first step.

Think about it; wouldn’t it make your day job so much easier if you had someone to lend you a hand, someone who you could teach how your business works and how you want him or her to work alongside you, someone who will fit in and help you grow your business?

So what about all that hassle? Well actually, with JTL supporting you every step of the way, the question is “what hassle?” We are here to take the pain out of finding the right apprentice to fit into your business, to take you through all the paperwork so that the apprenticeship can attract government funding support and to be alongside you, and your apprentice, from start to finish.

Our training officers are all from the industry and occupationally competent so they understand your point of view and the technical aspects of the industry. The plumbing and heating market continues to grow in complexity and the apprenticeship qualifications we offer are designed to offer the solid grounding that lays at the heart of every good and successful plumbing and heating business.

The first step is to contact us to let us know what your needs are. We can then send you a list of people who have been through our initial assessment process to make sure they have the capability to successfully complete an apprenticeship.

Successful candidates receive a follow-up telephone call so that we can understand the type of role they will be best suited to and filter them in the right direction. However, who you recruit is entirely up to you because only you can identify the right person to fit in with your business. After all, you will be working closely together for at least a couple of years and may be up to four years, so it is important that you find the right individual.

Before we place an apprentice, we will come out and spend some time with you to make sure that you meet the necessary health and safety and other legal requirements; many employers find this really helpful because keeping up with the latest legislation can be challenging.

Once you have employed your apprentice, we will take over and organise all the paperwork to get that all-important government funding support and also make the arrangements for the college attendance. Our training officers will visit you and the apprentice regularly throughout the apprenticeship to support and encourage, as well as to assess progress.

And if you are worried about what is in it for us, well JTL is a not-for-profit charity set up by the industry for the industry, so we are not in this for any other reason but to support you and the thousands of other businesses, apprentices and applicants who see their future in our exciting industry.

So give it some thought. After all, someone gave you your first chance when you started out in the industry. Couldn’t you do the same and, at the same, benefit and grow your business?