How Apprenticeships Can Improve Diversity in Business

Having a diverse workplace, with people from different backgrounds, can deliver important benefits to any business. Some of these benefits include:

1. Improved productivity through collaboration. Businesses with high diversity have been shown to be 33% more likely to have higher profits.

2. Enhanced creativity, enabling more solutions to common problems.

3. An improved sense of cultural awareness that can give businesses an edge in an increasingly international business world. By broadening the talent pool and opting for diversity, you can attract many more candidates with different talents and skillsets.

4. Improving your brand by embracing inclusivity demonstrates a forward-thinking mentality which customers will want to support.

5. Enhancing employee retention by making your workplace atmosphere inclusive, welcoming and less toxic.  Higher employee retention rates can lead to reduced turnover, saving money on recruitment.

6. In the boardroom, prioritizing diverse hires can show a commitment to a culture of equality across your entire company.  In The Pipeline’s Women Count 2021 report, 70% of FTSE 350 companies were found to not have a single woman executive sitting on their main board. 

How do you support diversity in your workplace?

Creating a more equitable working environment can transform the lives of under-represented groups and greatly improve the employee experience.

Diversity, in terms of religion, age, nationality, national origin, gender, gender identity, race or sexual orientation can be a powerful driver of innovation in your company.  Here are just some of the ways you can support diversity in your business:

1. Adopting an inclusive workplace culture

Diversity and inclusivity are related concepts but not the same – inclusivity is not just about the representation of diverse groups within a business, but ensuring that the culture of a business reflects, values and integrates those groups.

2. Open and maintain dialogue about gender pay inequality

The gender pay gap has become an important point for many companies to have open discussions with their employees about, with a sense of openness and transparency being crucial to fostering workforce trust.

3. Employ apprentices

Apprenticeships play a crucial role in building a more diverse and inclusive team, helping people of all ages and backgrounds to realise their potential. 

Hiring apprentices can address issues like shortages in skilled workers, whilst simultaneously diversifying your workforce and helping your business become more inclusive. 

Businesses looking to expand can access talent early through apprenticeships, developing their employee skill set to increase productivity and output from the ground floor.

In the construction industry for example, an increasingly ageing workforce may result in a skills shortfall in 10 – 20 years.  In addition, 99% of construction workers are estimated to be men (CIF, 2018) which further reduces the potential talent pool.  Offering apprenticeships that support diversity can alleviate these potential problems.

How to offer apprenticeships without unconscious (or conscious) bias

Many apprenticeship and job applications can be subject to discrimination through just their name at the application stage, and many more are judged unfairly on their location or grades.  Make sure your apprenticeships give everyone a chance to have a career with advancement prospects.

Find out more about apprenticeships for employers or call our team of friendly experts on 03333 222 666.