For small businesses in the construction trade, taking on new staff might be the last thing on your mind, but have you thought about taking on an apprentice? There are many benefits to bringing in an extra pair of hands, not least the prospect of making your business more profitable.

We spoke to Paul Marshall, Head of Division for Business and Workforce Development at Hartlepool College of Further Education, about the benefits of recruiting an apprentice and how to go about it.

Paul explained: "The construction industry is tough right now, but for smaller businesses and especially the one-man bands there is a lot of work about on house improvements, renovations and extensions, as people aren't moving at the moment. "Having someone work with you means you can get through jobs quicker and offer a better service. Simply working smarter, sharing out the jobs and tasks gets them completed quicker. The satisfaction of passing skills and experience onto younger colleagues is second to none.

"All of this goes into making your business look more efficient and professional, whilst improving relationships with customers to increase your services further. By taking on an apprentice, it all goes towards differentiating your service from your competitors' and you're more likely to get your name passed about."

Apprentice wages are £95 per week but the College offers a placement scheme where employers can 'try before they buy' for several months before taking on an apprentice full-time.

Paul commented: "We have a placement scheme where employers can take a trainee for up to six months and decide whether they want a full-time apprentice, and it costs them nothing. We just hope that they will be so impressed with our trainees, they will want to offer them a full-time apprenticeship at the end of it.

"Some of our apprentices have been in College for two years so they have a good knowledge of their trade."

As well as providing training and support throughout the apprenticeship scheme, Hartlepool College can also offer help with potential funding and support with health and safety issues. It will also guide you through the recruitment process.

Paul explained: "We can come out to your business or you can come into the College and we can see what your requirements are. We can help you write up a job spec, then look at the apprentices we have and put forward several candidates who fit the bill. You can then speak to them all and decide who would fit in best with your business.

"If it turns out that you are not happy with the apprentice you have chosen then you can come back to us and we can look at helping you pick a replacement and there's no come-back on the employer.

"On the other side of the coin, if you have your own apprentice in mind then you can come to us to help meet their training requirements."

To find out more about Hartlepool College’s apprentice scheme, call Paul Marshall or Aileen Knight on 01429 283822 or email aknight@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk.