Human Resources Apprenticeships
The scope covered by Human Resources (HR) is quite large, as Human Resources departments can cover everything from payroll, drafting of employment contracts and the recruitment and interview process to dealing with disciplinary matters and long-term absences.
HR are often the ones to arrange training workshops for staff members and are the first port of call for people with complaints about their working conditions or the behaviour of colleagues toward them.
What Are Human Resources Apprenticeships?
An apprenticeship in the human resources sector will likely see you placed in the HR section of a small to medium sized enterprise. You will be expected to deal with enquiries from other employees within the company, these may consist of things like when will they first be paid as a new start or what the process is for claiming statutory sick pay.
You won’t be expected to know everything immediately and you will have more experienced colleagues who can show you the ropes. It’s often the case that Human Resources are the first port of call for complaints surrounding disciplinary matters in the company. This means that in cases where sexual harassment are alleged, for example, you may find yourself involved in the investigative process around the complaint.
The Benefits of Human Resources Apprenticeships
In terms of building a successful career, high-quality Human Resources staff who have gained some experience in the field can expect to find themselves climbing the pay grades rather quickly. HR Officers / Advisers can earn from £25-£35k per annum with HR Managers earning anything from £35 – £55k per annum.
As Human Resources is considered to be a senior administrative area in most companies, you should be able to make good contacts in the upper echelons of the company. The networking that you will be able to do as a member of HR staff should stand you in good stead.
Human Resources is also considered to be its own profession so regardless of the sector that your company operates in, the skills that you accrue as part of your Human Resources apprenticeship should open a lot of doors for you in many different sectors.
What Does a Human Resources Apprenticeship Involve?
Just like all other apprenticeships, you will be working 80% of the time and taking part in studying for the other 20% of your time. The study will count toward the academic award that you will achieve on completing the apprenticeship. Depending on the apprenticeship level you are working toward, this may be anywhere from just above GCSE level to the level of a Masters Degree. It is important that you understand the significance of apprenticeship levels before applying so that you apply for an apprenticeship at an academically appropriate level for you.
You will be paid during the apprenticeship for 100% of your time, this means that you will be paid the same while you are taking part in the 20% that comprises the job training as you do for the other 80% of work with your Human Resources colleagues.
Are You Suited for a Human Resources Apprenticeship?
Human Resources can be a very mentally challenging role and people can come to you with all sorts of different problems, with the expectation that you will be able to assist them. In order to thrive in this environment, you need to have good empathy skills, so that you can relate to how people are doing. The other major skill that is required is problem solving and being able to think on your feet.
It is always an acceptable answer to say that you need to talk to some of your more senior colleagues to figure out how to take something forward. A lot of HR work involves trust, so try your best not to promise to do something that you later find that is not within your scope to do.
You need to be a very responsible person to take on this kind of role as people may come to you to tell you about their problems with depression and to ask advice, or to complain that someone more senior than them in the company has made unwelcome advances.
HR can be a demanding but also very rewarding job and it is one that you can make a real difference in.
Apply for a Human Resources Apprenticeship in the UK
If you are interested in applying for a Human Resources Apprenticeship, you can peruse our associated job opportunities below. If you are an employer looking for opportunities to reach interested potential apprentices, please look at our apprenticeship job vacancy credits page which will allow you to display your vacancy on our jobs board.
