EC Harris sees Apprentices as their future leaders [Video]

Leading built asset consultancy EC Harris sees those individuals on their Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management scheme as the organisations future leaders.

Richard Bonner, partner at EC Harris, told APM how the Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management scheme has allowed them to train excellent young talent to the specific needs of their business: We work with young people to mould them to both the needs of our professional requirements defined by APMs Five Dimensions of Professionalism, but also equally to the needs of our clients, said Richard.

EC Harris was among one of the first employers to commit to the Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management scheme developed by APM and Skills CFA by offering places across all business disciplines last September.

Even over such a short period EC Harris is already reaping the rewards and recognising the value Apprentices bring to their business. Richard said: We see a multitude of benefits. First and foremost we are seeing a reduced turnover of our staff. Were bringing in really bright and enthusiastic, highly motivated young people and we see that they really want to strive to develop their careers very quickly.

We see these individuals as future leaders in our organisation.

James Richardson undertook an Apprenticeship at the organisation as he believed he would benefit more from having the learning and practical experience at EC Harris as opposed to going to university. It is the visible investment EC Harris are committing in James development and training that is encouraging him to repay his employer back: Its been a really steep learning curve since I started, said James. Ive been working on different aspects such as planning, prioritising, managing people within a team.

I aim to use these skills that theyve taught me in the best way I can to then contribute some value back to EC Harris.

Cost effective

Richard believes that the Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management scheme is a really cost-effective way of recruiting great talent, as over 7,000 can be allocated towards their training costs. This money would be paid directly to the organisation providing the training, in most cases this would be the employer or an EAL approved centre.

We work both with training providers and the colleges to secure the government funding, its not just large organisations like EC Harris, but its smaller SMEs who equally get access to funding, added Richard.

A Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management, which is equivalent to the first year of a degree course, will provide aspiring young professionals with the opportunity to develop competence, skill and knowledge-sets and make project management a career of first choice.

The aim of the programme is to create new pathways into the project management profession, improve the management of projects and embed vital project skills in organisations throughout England.

We definitely see great benefits in Higher Apprenticeships, concluded Richard.

It is a professional pathway allowing people to come in at a much earlier stage, which reaps real dividends for our organisation.

If your organisation is interested in learning more about employing Apprentices please contact APM. Alternatively, for more information about the scheme please visit the Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management webpage.