More than half of 海角视频 small and medium-sized enterprises have axed plans to take on apprentices because of the cost-of-living crisis, according to new research unveiled today by Vodafone Business. Vodafone Business polled over 1,000 SME business leaders across the 海角视频 and found of the 60% of firms who have taken on apprentices in the past, a worrying 51% had axed their schemes because of soaring business costs including energy and transport.
The findings have been announced as Vodafone Business today launches a partnership with , using funds from Vodafone鈥檚 Apprenticeship Levy, to upskill 海角视频 SME employees.
Vodafone Business will provide small businesses with 拢18,000 each to upskill existing employees via a pilot partnership with .
Nick Gliddon, Business Director, Vodafone 海角视频 said: 鈥淥ur research shows just how much support is required from both big businesses and Government to ensure that SMEs can take on apprentices or offer up-skilling programmes to existing staff. With SMEs making up 99.9% of all businesses, they are crucial to our economy and have an important role to play in providing the 海角视频 workforce with viable opportunities, training and skills.
鈥淪MEs are often forgotten when discussions about apprenticeships take place and barriers, like costs and time, make it harder for them. At Vodafone Business our focus is to make life easier for businesses, so we have launched a new scheme in partnership with Multiverse for SMEs to fund their apprenticeship programmes. This will help people of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills.鈥
Jeremy Duggan, President of Multiverse said: 鈥淓nsuring the right digital skills are in place is essential for any business, and apprenticeships schemes are simply the best way to deliver these through applied, on-the-job learning. As SMEs reckon with market forces, Vodafone鈥檚 donation will enable small businesses to invest in their people, develop to their full potential and unlock growth, through the creation of these apprenticeship programmes.鈥
To find out more about this programme and apply for your business register before February 14, 2023.
