There are several ways to search for and find your next apprentice, but as many of us discovered during lockdown, there's nothing like meeting new people in person.
Jobs fairs provide that valuable face to face contact, allowing you and your potential candidates to decide if you're likely to be a good fit for each other.
Your prospective apprentice might have the right qualifications on paper and, where it's applicable, the relevant experience, but would they slot into your team easily? Are they personable and presentable? Do they appear keen to learn? Can you envisage them getting on well with your colleagues, customers and contacts?
So called 'soft skills' such as ease of communication, a confident manner and emotional intelligence shouldn't be underestimated. Jobs fairs give you the chance to notice these attributes - or lack of them - up close, and before you get to formal interview stage.
And it works both ways. By meeting you in person, the candidate will also get a feel for whether or not the two of you are a good match.
Recruitment fairs take place throughout the calendar year, with many industries such as construction and engineering also putting on their own sector-specific events.
Many of these are held in collaboration with industry bodies, local training providers such as FE colleges and, in the case of degree and higher apprenticeships, universities.
The bigger events are supported and/or sponsored by household name employers from sectors such as banking and retail. But if you're not a 'major player' don't let that put you off. Most towns and cities have jobs fairs for small and medium sized employers, often hosted by football stadiums and other easy-to-get-to sports venues.
Check out upcoming careers events and roadshows online, reach out to your training provider and talk to contacts in your network. Whether you're an SME, an owner managed business or a company employing more than 500 staff, there's something for everyone.
So, you've found an event and booked your space. What's next? If you want to see a good return on your investment - in both time and money - then it pays to be well prepared.
For starters, do you know who is going to manage your stand? These events are about first impressions, so you need to pick someone who is approachable, easy to talk to and comfortable promoting your business.
Your chosen team member must also be able to convey how the apprenticeship would work in practice. They don't have to be a dedicated apprentice training manager, but recruitment and staff training should form part of their day-to-day role.
Bear in mind that attending such events can be a new and daunting experience for school and college leavers, so a gentle, reassuring approach is what's called for.
To inform visitors to your stand about what you do, enhance your social media activity with printed information that can be taken away. And, most important of all, make sure you take down potential candidates' contact details so you can follow up on any promising leads.
Of course, you don't have to wait for a jobs fair to come to you. Why not take the initiative and, if practical, host your own apprenticeship event or open day?
If your business has apprentices who are nearing their EPA fairly recently, then ask them for their input. They're in the unique position of already having been on your training scheme and can share their experiences to inspire and influence future learners.
School leavers and college students are busy preparing for and sitting exams between March and June so it may be advisable to wait until later in the summer before hosting or attending a fair.
Whatever you do, don't forget to plan ahead for National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) which runs every February annually. It's the biggest week in the apprenticeship calendar and there are so many ways in which you can get involved. Amazing Apprenticeships, for example, host free webinars to help employers develop NAW themes and ideas.
Due to their economies of scale, job fairs can be quite cost effective. Meeting several candidates all conveniently in the same place and at the same time definitely saves time and money. That's surely worth a few hours away from the workplace.
They're great for networking too, whatever the outcome - and if you're fortunate enough to find the right person, then your investment will have paid dividends.
For more information on apprenticeships go to https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers