Whether you are an apprenticeship levy payer, seeking co-funding or simply want to make the most of your available training budget, the iSales team recommend a step-by-step, considered approach to skills planning.

Step 1: Identify Needs
What are the most noticeable skills gaps in your business today?  What skills might you need for the future?  What recruitment challenges does your business frequently experience?  Where do you have the highest levels of employee churn?

A detailed needs analysis that looks at both current and future skills gaps will lead to prioritised skills and training needs identification.

Step 2: Review Budgets
What is your training budget?  What is your recruitment spend?  Do you have additional headcount budget?  Does the apprenticeship levy apply to your organisation?  What other funding is available to you?

Do you have sufficient budget to address your priority training needs and/or to acquire the new skills that you require?

Step 3: Skills Solutions
Can all or some of your recruitment challenges and skills gaps be met by apprenticeship programmes?  If not, would you like to develop a new apprenticeship standard that better meets your needs?  What about T-Levels?  What alternative non-apprenticeship training solutions does your business require?  What programmes have delivered the best results for your business in the past?  What solutions have not worked so well and why?

Maximise your return on investment by ensuring that all future training solutions meet the specific needs of your business.

Whilst it is important to factor in the hidden costs of placing existing staff on apprenticeship schemes (for example, in terms of their time away from the workplace), it is equally as important to consider the benefits of utilising available funding to upskill existing staff and the positive impact it can have on motivation, retention and productivity. 

Step 4: Choose a Partner

Only select training provider(s) that are experienced and equipped to address your needs and willing to work with you to deliver a clear return on investment.

iSales can help you with all your training needs and will be able to provide you with clear advice and support. We work in partnership with employers to fully understand their challenges, including the importance of minimising disruption, offering a flexible approach, and delivering relevant, high-quality bespoke training and apprenticeship programmes.

If you are not specifically looking for one of our specialist apprenticeships, we can sign-post you to one of our quality training partners.

For information or advice on apprenticeships or for assistance with a skills planning, please contact us.