Investing for the future

On Tuesday I will be making a presentation to a major employer about apprenticeships.  There is much debate about the for’s and against’s the apprenticeship levy.  I believe there is a bigger question where is our investment in our people, we are facing uncertain times not just for now, but for some considerable time, cutting back on the investment we make in our youth and in all our staff is short term thinking.  More than ever we need to prepare everyone for the opportunities and challenges ahead

Recently I have worked abroad for a very successful organisation, they train youngsters to become engineers; they train so many that they can’t give all of them a job. Why do they do it?  They do it because they believe it is the right thing to do, not just for their business but it adds to the human capital of their country and continent.  That is investing!  And guess what, those who don’t get a job with the organisation speak wonderfully about how they had been helped to gain a qualification that gives them a better chance to get a job with an employer.

Let us reflect on whether we debate the levy or think about the bigger things that need to be addressed.