Growing Apprenticeship Partnerships for SMEs (SME GAP)

There a number of organisations supporting apprenticeships. Often the message can be confused and routes into the system for the advisor, apprentice or the Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) is confusing. In addition, an understanding on the part of the SME of the long term benefits to be gained by taking on, training and later fully employing apprentices is lacking. In many countries there is not one single definition of apprenticeships, further acting as a barrier to the effective take up by SMEs. This confusion leads to a lack of understanding where to go to ensure the most suitable candidates appropriate to both learner and SME needs and ultimately a lower take up and availability of placements. SMEs are also less engaged with apprenticeship programmes due to perceived high cost and concern about return on investment.

Attractiveness campaigns are required to remove the barriers to SME involvement in offering apprenticeships. ‘Growing Apprenticeship Partnerships for SMEs’ (SME GAP) aims to increase the capacity of intermediary bodies to support and facilitate an increase in the supply of apprenticeships in SMEs by addressing particular barriers faced. In order to achieve this, SME GAP will be targeted on UK, Austria and Spain, combining partner organisations from Higher Education, the community and voluntary sector and a Public Authority and each from Member States with different success and types of intervention for supporting apprenticeships.

The partnership has been designed to enable the achievement of the overall objective, to close the gaps that exist in each partner region, which stop SMEs from participating fully in apprenticeship programmes and find shared solutions to add significant value and increase the numbers of SMEs taking on an apprentice.

Partnership

Activity & Outcomes

Our Approach