Collaboration is key in the battle for tech talent

Darren Coomer at The S&A Academy outlines the benefits for businesses in the technology sector of engaging with apprenticeship programmes

 

Growing demand from employers for tech-savvy workers has led to closer collaboration with providers of technology-focused apprenticeship programmes and other high-level courses, to support their business plans. But is there enough young tech talent and quality courses to go round?

 

The rapid advancement of workplace technologies in areas such as data analysis and data science, AI, machine learning and automation is forcing employers to upskill existing workers or recruit people with digital tech skills to stay competitive. Building a pipeline of skilled workers to meet their needs is no longer a nice-to-have, it is critical to their growth strategy.

 

However, finding programmes that offer the right qualifications for candidates with the  aptitude and staying power to complete their training, can be challenging.

 

Choosing a course

To support employers in recruiting and retaining talented people to onboard technologies and lead their digital transformation and other business change programmes, training providers are increasingly taking a more bespoke approach. For employers, working closely with training providers ensures courses are structured to meet their needs.

 

A more bespoke approach to candidate selection is proving helpful too. Specialist search, selection and pre-screening services are being used prior to placing candidates with an employer and into an apprenticeship programme. This ensures that learners are more likely to complete their qualifications and continue their career with the company, adding value to the business as they train.

 

At The S&A Academy, courses are led by qualified instructors and enhanced by industry practitioners with more than 10 years’ industry experience, which means that course content is workplace-relevant. Additionally, the networks that come from the consulting industry provide a constant stream of perfect candidates for professional-based apprenticeship programmes.

 

With more employers recognising the benefits that apprenticeship programmes can bring, shopping around for the right training partner is increasingly important. For example, when looking for a training provider it’s important for employers to ask the right questions.

 

Ideally, they should be looking for a firm with a wealth of real-world industry experience that take the time to understand their business and their existing technology strategy and shape an apprenticeship programme to suit.

 

Some professional apprenticeships are ‘front-loaded’ with a full 12 weeks of ‘ready-to-work’ learning, which means apprentices can start to deliver value to their employer as soon as they join their colleagues.

 

Reskilling existing employees

At a time when many businesses are looking to reduce their cost base, which may lead them to consider redundancies, apprenticeships offer an opportunity to retrain workers whose jobs might otherwise be ‘at risk’.

 

Such reskilling opportunities can allow employers to avoid making redundancies in the first place, as well as removing the need for further recruitment fees and onboarding new staff into the company culture. Protecting jobs and developing employee careers also helps to enhance their reputation as a caring employer.

 

To help to attract more talented tech wannabes and assess their suitability for some of the most sought-after tech courses, such as Software Developer and Quality Engineer L4 programmes, some training providers run selection events in collaboration with employers.

 

These taster-style sessions enable trainers to spot individuals with the right attributes, such as analytical and problem-solving skills, to help the employers ensure the right individuals make it through the firm’s 15-18 month apprenticeship programmes and associated on the job training.

 

The S&A Academy often hosts selection days jointly with employers across the UK, inviting people to come and find out what a career as a software developer or tester is really like. Introducing them to role models within the business who are willing to share stories about their own personal journeys into technology roles, can also help to create an emotional connection with potential candidates, increasing the likelihood of retention.

 

Scooping up tech talent

At a time when one in five university students are considering dropping out of degree courses due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, according to research involving 8,500 students by the Russell Group of Students’ Unions, there is an opportunity to redirect this talent into apprenticeship programmes.

 

By linking up with local universities offering degrees in digital technologies or adjacent subjects, employers and their training providers can scoop up any dropouts who might be looking for a more vocational point of entry to a tech-led career.

 

With demand for tech skills set to increase further, employers and training providers will have to start thinking more creatively and collaboratively about how to build a pipeline of talent to meet their needs in the future.

 

Thinking like a wannabe tech apprentice is a good place to start, as well as investing time in building programmes and courses that will ensure the right amount of resource is available at every stage of their business growth strategy.

 

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Darren Coomer is CEO and founder of The S&A Group and The S&A Academy, which specialises in the design and delivery of apprenticeship programmes for employers and individual learners in technology, science and business. For more information about technology-based apprenticeships, visit sandaacademy.com/technology/

 

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