Going Back For Good

Karen Handley, Head of Future Careers, Virgin Media O2 discusses workplace returners and explores why senior learners are embracing apprenticeships.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has taken a new approach by coining the term ‘returnerships’ in the Spring Budget, targeting the over 50s with a fund blending apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and sector-based work academy programmes. The goal is to provide clear routes for over 50s to return to work and boost productivity, all while encouraging employers to hire older workers.

Apprenticeships are not anything new

The Budget coincided with our own research on the ‘retrain revolution’, which has swept across the UK as millions seek to earn more money or bolster job security to help them navigate the cost-of-living crisis. In fact, our research found that almost half (49%) of the entire UK workforce want to retrain or study for a new qualification but are discouraged from taking on an apprenticeship for several reasons, including salary expectations (70%) and the time it takes to retrain (28%).

Unlocking the UK’s productivity puzzle will take time to address, but it’s clear that plugging the gap requires improved education and workforce development, regardless of age. We must strive to meet the Chancellor’s challenge by ensuring that existing apprenticeship programmes are focused on everyone – no matter the stage of someone’s career. According to the TUC, non-linear careers are on the rise as projections of a longer working life are predicted. Both the government and business leaders must seek to address some of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding apprenticeships to ensure that people can take advantage of the benefits of these programmes.

Addressing age scepticism

If apprenticeships are to form a key pillar of the government’s returnership scheme, then we must overcome stigma around age. Nearly 50% of Brits believe that apprenticeships are primarily aimed at younger people.

Our own apprentices range from 18 to 53 years, with 45% of the business’ 2022 intake being 25 years old or above. It’s a personal point of passion for me to ensure our offering does not just appeal to school leavers, but also to those returning from career breaks and getting back into work. For example, one of our apprentices joined the programme following a long career break looking after her two children who have additional needs. Her career break was longer than expected and after returning to the workforce over the age of 50, she found that employers felt that her experience was out of date. She decided to retrain and joined our apprenticeship programme as a Network Design Apprentice in 2019, starting a second apprenticeship in 2022 – having the flexibility to learn new skills, earn money and work around parenting duties.

To anyone who is on the fence about apprenticeships later in their career life, I’d argue that there’s nothing to lose. Returnerships can offer the opportunity to learn new skills and career experiences which are funded while still earning a salary. For businesses, investing in schemes, such as apprenticeships and returnerships, supports companies with attracting a more diverse pool of talent, while continuing to grow the company’s existing workforce.

We’ve seen the profile of our applications skewing older, compared to several years ago, indicating a growing trend of people willing to retrain or learn new skills. Our apprenticeship schemes continue to drive high levels of engagement and apprenticeship  retention rates, with a significant proportion of our apprentices continuing to work with us for a long time following the end of their training.

Getting remuneration right

We also found that seven in ten workers believe apprenticeships are poorly paid, while 60% are concerned apprenticeships don’t offer guaranteed job security at completion.

For the returnership programme to be a success, we must ensure that every apprentice is fairly compensated and enjoys a good work-life balance. While I can’t speak on behalf of every organisation, all Virgin Media O2 apprentices earn between £20,400 up to £30,000 as a starting salary, well above the average UK salary and are offered permanent roles at completion.

To cater for all ages, employers must put in place fair measures that meet the expectations of all workers – for example, remuneration or part-time employment. Equally, they must diversify the hiring process, recruiting blind to focus on potential and offer candidates equal opportunities.

The rewards of returnerships are too big to miss. Businesses can benefit from fresh perspectives and a diverse workforce, while younger members of the team can pick up invaluable skills from more experienced workers. Beyond expanding the pool of talent available to businesses, this embracing of potential employees of all ages could prove to be the silver bullet in addressing the UK’s productivity puzzle.