Could funding cuts signal the end of apprenticeships boom?

24 Jun 2014

Written by Alice Smithson

Have you been taking advantage of the recent boom in apprenticeship schemes? Many salons have, and the schemes are ideal for cash-strapped businesses and inexperienced workers alike. However, impending funding cuts could be about to put an end to the apprenticeship boom for good. Although last week’s Queen’s speech revealed how two million apprenticeships will have been created by the end of the current parliament, many companies are worried that funding cuts planned by the Coalition for next year cut bring the apprenticeship boom to a close.

By 2015 it is expected that fully funded apprenticeships will cease and employers will have to pay up to a third of future apprenticeship training costs _ an expense that many salon owners simply cannot afford. The National Hairdressers Federation worries that what salons will have to pay towards the cost of new apprenticeships when the cuts are rolled out from next year, as many salon owners are currently employing a number of apprentices already. 

It would seem that many salon owners would not continue with apprenticeships in the future if government funding is cut, which means they will have to find the support to help run their salon elsewhere. Whilst i-salon’s salon management software can’t perform treatments like your salon apprentices, it can help salon owners to better manage and maintain a more efficient business, making day-to-day processes easier and helping to save both time and money. If you’d like to find out more about how salon management software can provide you with the support you need, get in touch with a member of our team today.