Apprenticeships vs Traditional Recruitment: Which Delivers Better Long-Term Results?

Recruiting and developing a workforce is one of the biggest challenges facing employers today. With skills gaps growing across industries, many businesses are rethinking how they can attract and retain staff. Traditional recruitment has long been the default, hiring based on experience and qualifications. But Apprenticeships are proving to be a powerful alternative for building a skilled, loyal, and future-ready workforce. 

Traditional recruitment remains a valuable and well-established method for bringing in fresh talent. With traditional recruitment, it allows businesses to: 

• Hire experienced staff who can “hit the ground running” 
• Fill immediate skills gaps quickly 
• Bring in fresh ideas and skillsets  

However, this approach can also come with challenges such as high recruitment costs, longer onboarding times, and limited long-term retention, more so if employees are not invested in the company’s culture or career pathways. 

Apprenticeships offer a different way of onboarding new staff. Through Apprenticeships, the focus is based on growing your own talent.
Rather than hiring for existing experience, employers invest in developing motivated individuals from the start, shaping their skills and mindset to fit the business perfectly. 

With Fareport’s several Apprenticeship programmes, employers can benefit from: 

• Tailored training aligned with business goals
• Practical, job-relevant learning that provides immediate value
• Higher retention rates, as apprentices feel supported in their upskilling
• Improved diversity, opening opportunities for people from all backgrounds 

Apprenticeships help turn potential into performance. By building a workforce that’s skilled, engaged, and committed for the long haul, businesses can see the impact of Apprenticeships from day one. 

Employees who start as apprentices are more likely to stay with their employer, progress internally, and contribute to innovation and growth.
By contrast, traditional hires often move on within a few years, leading to a cycle of recruitment and retraining. 

Apprenticeships foster a learning culture, where continuous development becomes part of the business necessity. Over time, this creates stronger teams, better leaders, and a more resilient organisation. 

Fareport’s approach combines expert training with a vital and in depth understanding of each client’s sector and goals. Because of our tailored approach, we build a partnership to drive measurable impact. 

Over the years, our clients have seen: 

• Reduced turnover and recruitment costs
• Increased productivity and employee satisfaction
• A steady pipeline of future leaders 

Fareport can help you enrol and employee onto an Apprenticeship that delivers lasting results that is relevant to the employee’s needs, as well as the businesses requirements. 

Traditional recruitment will always have its place, especially for roles requiring immediate experience. For many businesses, it’s the primary option for filling skills gaps and building a structured workforce.
But when it comes to sustainable growth, retention, and skills development, Apprenticeships are proving to be the smarter long-term investment. 

With Fareport as your partner, you can build the workforce that you need today. Contact us, email hello@fareport.co.uk or call 01329 825 805 to begin the Apprenticeship journey. With Apprenticeships in Leadership & Management; Marketing; Health & Social Care; Learning & Development and Professional Services, we cover a plethora of programmes to cater to many businesses and industries.