Recouping the costs of apprenticeship training: employer case study evidence from England

From a public policy perspective where the aim is to increase the number of employers providing Apprenticeships in a system which provides policy makers with few demand side levers the most persuasive argument policy makers can craft is one based on demonstrating that investing in Apprenticeships will yield a positive return to the employer. This paper outlines a method for calculating the return to the employer and, based on a series of in-depth employer case studies conducted in England during 2007/8, provides estimates of how quickly employers in different sectors of the economy can recoup their investments in Apprenticeships.