Apprenticeships embedding AI, digital and essential skills — designed for how SMEs really work.
Stronger Skills. Stronger SMEs: Your Apprenticeship Partner
SMEs are under more pressure than ever. Recruitment is tough, staff turnover is costly, and skills gaps make it hard to compete. But with the right training and development, your workforce becomes your greatest competitive advantage.
Fareport Training are an Independent Training Provider delivering Apprenticeships across the Central South who truly understand SMEs. We think, operate, and deliver like one because we are an SME ourselves.
While larger providers take a one-size-fits-all approach, Fareport offers flexibility, personal service, tailored support and a real partnership with you and your business.
The challenges SMEs face today
Many SME owners and leaders are facing similar workforce pressures — from skills shortages to rising costs and increasing competition. The table below highlights some of the most common challenges and shows how well-designed apprenticeships can provide practical, cost-effective solutions that support growth, retention and long-term resilience.
| SME Challenge | How Fareport Apprenticeships Help |
|---|---|
| Skills shortages and recruitment challenges | Develop people with the exact skills your business needs, reducing reliance on hard-to-find external talent. |
| High staff turnover and inconsistent performance | Invest in existing employees to improve engagement, confidence and retention, creating more consistent performance. |
| Rising operational costs | Access funded training that builds capability without the high costs of external courses or repeated recruitment. Our Apprenticeship training can be fully funded for SMEs. There are also Government incentives around National Insurance (terms and conditions apply). |
| Competition from larger employers | Offer structured development and career progression that helps SMEs attract and retain talent despite bigger competitors. |
| Limited time or expertise to train staff | Our Apprenticeships provide structured training and expert support, reducing the pressure on internal teams. |
| Pressure to modernise skills, leadership and compliance | Build up-to-date skills in leadership, digital capability and compliance that support long-term growth and resilience. |
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In Partnership with The Edge Foundation
Why choose training with Fareport
At Fareport Training, we don’t believe apprenticeships should be generic. As an SME ourselves, we understand that small and medium-sized businesses need training that is practical, flexible and directly aligned to how their business actually operates.
Our Apprenticeships go beyond technical knowledge alone. We deliberately embed AI, digital and sustainability skills into our programmes, helping SMEs build modern, future-ready capability. AI skills, in particular, can support businesses to work more efficiently — helping streamline processes, reduce manual workloads and manage operational costs more effectively.
We place strong emphasis on essential skills. Teaching someone how to do a task is often the easy part. Developing confidence in communication, project management, problem-solving and conflict resolution takes time, coaching and the right support — and these skills are critical in SME environments where individuals often wear many hats.
Our delivery reflects the reality of SME roles. An office manager, for example, may be responsible for administration, finance, HR and operational coordination. We design apprenticeships that flex around these blended responsibilities, ensuring learning feels relevant, manageable and immediately useful.
Apprenticeships can directly address common SME challenges — from skills shortages and staff retention to rising costs and competition from larger employers — when they are designed and delivered effectively.
We also recognise that apprenticeships can be new territory for many businesses. That’s why we provide mentoring and guidance for line managers, particularly those new to supporting apprentices. This helps managers feel confident in their role, ensures apprentices get the right support, and maximises the impact of the programme for the wider business.
Talk to us
Let’s find the apprenticeship programmes that support your business and your people. Complete our form to explore apprenticeship opportunities with our team.
