Overcoming business challenges through apprenticeships

By Amy Candler , HR Advisor at MBDA

At MBDA, we’ve firmly embedded apprenticeships into our workforce development plans since 2001. As the benefits that apprenticeships have brought to the organisation have become clear, our provision has grown significantly, and we currently employ 113 apprenticeships across our three sites. Apprenticeships have also helped us solve a variety of business challenges that have been critical to MBDA’s success. These include: 

Filling skills gaps 

Skills gaps are a very real problem for businesses. MBDA experienced this recently; there was a rise in the variety of IT roles that were needed, and we didn’t have the right level of technical skills in-house. We struggled to recruit new talent due to the gap between the number of people with the right skills and the increasing number of IT based roles to fill. Apprenticeships have been critical in solving this problem. We’re in the process of launching a new IT apprenticeship, which focuses on areas of need within the business. We’re confident this will quickly make a substantial impact as apprentices learn-on-the-job and upskill. It will also help us secure a future talent pipeline in IT as we offer full-time roles to all apprentices that successfully complete their programme.  

Retaining talent  

Retaining talent is an issue for many businesses in the UK, with research showing that 83% of Chief HR officers are facing significant talent retention problems. Apprenticeships have been fundamental in protecting MBDA from this issue. Employees that have completed an apprenticeship programme have felt a real sense of brand loyalty as the business has invested time and money into developing their skills, alongside an increase in job satisfaction. We offer a wide variety of apprenticeships to our existing employees, and this continues to grow alongside the business needs. I am currently finishing my Level 5 HR Consultant Partner apprenticeship, and I have seen huge benefits from applying the knowledge I have gained to my current role.  

Solving innovation challenges 

Apprentices introduce fresh, new mindsets and ideas that have aided business growth. Projects are frequently moved forward in significant ways by apprentices that have solved an innovation challenge at MBDA. The Early Careers Team has received and utilised some great ideas which have helped us evolve the programmes that we offer. As an example, apprentices said they would like the apprenticeship format to be reviewed, which resulted in us asking them to create a committee to communicate ideas and changes. This has been implemented successfully and is a great way to obtain feedback and fresh ideas from our apprentices.  

Amy Candler is a HR Advisor within the Early Careers Team at MBDA. The only European group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems to meet the current and future needs of the three-armed forces. Amy’s role is to manage and develop the apprentices during their time on scheme, as well as ensure that the academic support they receive is of a high standard. The University of Hertfordshire and MBDA have worked together for almost twenty years, and have taught apprentices across 4 standards since 2016, including Digital Technology Solutions, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Chartered Manager.