Why Employing a Young Person Could Be One of the Best Decisions Your Business Makes

For many employers, finding the right person can be challenging. Skills shortages, rising recruitment costs, and competition for experienced staff mean businesses are increasingly having to think differently about how they build their workforce.

One solution is often overlooked: investing in young talent through employment and apprenticeships.

Whether you're a small business, growing SME, or larger organisation, bringing a young person into your team through an apprenticeship can help you improve efficiency, develop future talent, and make a meaningful impact on your community. With government support and incentive payments available, it can also be a more affordable option than many employers realise.

You're developing talent your way

When you recruit an experienced employee, they bring valuable knowledge, but they also bring habits and ways of working from previous organisations.

A young person offers something different. They learn your processes, your systems, and your culture from day one. Rather than adapting existing habits from previous employers, you've the opportunity to shape skills and behaviours from the ground up, creating employees who are aligned to business needs, ways of doing things and future goals.

Digital confidence comes naturally

Many of today's young people have grown up in a digital-first world. From collaboration platforms and cloud-based systems to AI tools and social media, they're often comfortable learning and adapting to new technology quickly.

While they may not have years of workplace experience, they can frequently help businesses embrace digital ways of working and may even identify more efficient ways of doing routine tasks.

Fresh perspectives create new opportunities

Many businesses become comfortable with established processes. Sometimes, tasks continue to be completed a certain way simply because that's how they've always been done – not necessarily because it’s the most efficient or effective way.

Young people often bring a fresh perspective. As new joiners, they can ask questions that encourage teams to reflect on existing processes and identify opportunities for improvement.

Research consistently shows that organisations benefit from diverse perspectives, which can improve innovation, problem-solving and decision-making. Bringing younger employees into a team can introduce different experiences, ideas and ways of thinking that may not already exist within the business.

Create your own talent pipeline

One of the biggest recruitment challenges facing employers is finding skilled people when they need them.

By employing a young person today, you're developing the skills your business may need tomorrow. Instead of competing for experienced candidates in the future, you're investing in someone who can grow alongside your organisation.

Apprenticeships provide a clear progression route. A young person who starts on a Level 2 apprenticeship – such as Administration Support- can progress to higher-level apprenticeships in areas such as Business Administration, Human Resources and Project Management, creating long-term value for your business.

Developing talent internally can often be a more sustainable and cost-effective option than repeatedly recruiting experienced staff. With the average UK hire costing around £6,125 and more than a third of employers reporting hard-to-fill vacancies, many businesses are turning to apprenticeships to build skills and capability from within.

Financial support makes it even more attractive

For many employers, the decision to recruit comes down to risk and affordability. The good news is that the government is increasing support for employers who invest in young talent.

Depending on the age and circumstances of the apprentice, most programmes are up to 100% government funded and in addition, employers may be able to access a combination of incentive payments and youth employment grants worth up to £6,000 when recruiting eligible young people. These incentives have been introduced to encourage businesses to create opportunities for young people, making apprenticeships one of the most cost-effective ways to build skills within your organisation.

Loyalty and enthusiasm matter

For many young people, their first role is a major milestone. They want to learn, succeed, and prove themselves.

When employers invest in their development, they often respond with enthusiasm, commitment, and loyalty. Many remember the organisation that gave them their first opportunity and work hard to repay that trust. It’s a level of loyalty that's difficult to buy through recruitment.

Free up time to grow your business

Business owners and managers often spend up to 16 hours a week on administrative tasks – time that should be spent on growing their business. If you're spending £50 an hour on tasks that someone else could be trained to complete for £15 an hour, your business may not be using its resources effectively.

For many SMEs, an Administration Support Level 2 apprentice provides an ideal introduction to employing young talent. They can quickly become an invaluable part of the team by taking ownership of essential administrative tasks while developing skills that support the long-term growth of the business.

An Administration Support Level 2 apprentice can learn to support business activities such as:

• > Data entry
• > Customer enquiries
• > Document management
• > Scheduling and diary management
• > CRM updates
• > Social media administration
• > Meeting preparation
•  

In short, employing an Administration Support apprentice isn't just about getting help with admin. It's about using your time more effectively, investing in future talent, and creating the headspace needed to grow your business. When routine tasks are in safe hands, you can focus on the activities that add the greatest value.

Helping to tackle the UK's NEET challenge

There is also a wider benefit to employing young people.

Across England, over 1 million young people are currently classified as NEET, meaning they are Not in Education, Employment or Training. That's more than one in eight young people.

Many of these young people have the potential to succeed but simply need an opportunity to gain experience, build confidence, and develop workplace skills.

By employing a young person or offering an apprenticeship, businesses can play an important role in helping tackle this challenge while addressing their own workforce needs.

You're not just filling a vacancy. You're helping to develop future talent and strengthening your local economy at the same time.

That's why many organisations are signing the Future Talent Employer Pledge, an initiative led by Realise, to create meaningful opportunities for young people through employment, apprenticeships and workplace development. By taking the pledge, employers can demonstrate their support for the next generation while helping to address the UK's growing youth employment challenge.

It's about potential, not just experience

This isn't about choosing young people instead of experienced workers.

Experienced employees bring immediate capability and valuable expertise. Young people bring something different: potential, adaptability, fresh ideas, and long-term growth opportunities. The most successful businesses often recognise the value of both.

For businesses looking to take their first step into apprenticeships, an Administration Support Level 2 apprentice can be an excellent place to start. By investing in a young person, you can free up valuable time, build your future workforce and develop skills tailored to your business. With fully funded training available for young apprentices and additional government incentives and grants worth up to £6,000 for eligible employers, there's never been a better time to invest in young talent.

Ready to invest in your future workforce? Contact our team today to find out how an Administration Support Level 2 apprentice could help your business save time, develop talent and grow for the future.