Our two favourite words: “You’re hired!”
The last couple of weeks have seen the return of BBC’ s The Apprentice to our television screens – compelling viewing for every member of the team for the next few months, we’re sure, but a million miles away from our own experience of what it’s actually like to hire an apprentice.
There are some parallels, of course. Firstly, we work really hard to ensure that every candidate is up to scratch, and a good fit with the requirements of the employer seeking to attract new talent to their workforce. So far, so similar.
And of course, we need to be sure that our applicants have got the right mindset, a can-do approach and a will to learn and succeed. Check: although the language used is slightly more loaded with management-jargon on The Apprentice, that’s exactly what Karren, Nick et al are looking for, too.
We’re also looking for reassurance that our apprentices will throw themselves into any task set for them with enthusiasm, as does the viewing public of the show. But whereas the TV audience delights in watching gaffes and blunders and in observing the apprentices’ self-created downfall , we’re doing whatever we can to coach our candidates into the personal success of work-readiness and employability.
Only grafters need apply
So, happily, the similarities between YHATA and the dog-eat-dog world of Sir Alan’s boardroom (whoops – shouldn’t that be Lord Sugar, now?) are tenuous, to say the least. We’re definitely not looking for egotistical power-hungry and status-obsessed ‘personalities’. We’re looking for grafters, for team players, for willing learners. (Hang on a minute – isn’t that what Lord Sugar says, too? Ah, yes – but we mean it!).
And we’d never let our employers treat our apprentices in the way that the show does, of course. Our young people are supported and mentored, and have formal learning programmes leading to recognised vocational qualifications. And employers themselves receive all the help they need to set up their apprenticeship programme and make it a success.
Most importantly of all, we’re working hard to create positive and productive futures for every one of our candidates (don’t see much evidence of that on the show!). Our aim is to place as many young people in apprenticeships as we possibly can, so we talk to employers across a wide variety of sectors to encourage them to see the benefits of taking on a real apprentice.
The real winners
Perhaps there is one last thing that we have in common with The Apprentice, though. Like the show, here at YHATA we love it when a placement works out, and when the employer realises they’ve found the perfect candidate to help achieve future success. And although we doubt whether any one of our employers has ever uttered the immortal words “You’re hired, ” as they offer their apprentice a permanent position at the end of their placement, that’s just fine with us, as long as the outcome is the same. The way we look at it, every time this happens, we’ve got the outcome we were hoping for, and we’re all winners.