September is one of the busiest times of the year for schools, breakfast clubs, after-school provisions, activity clubs and wider education settings. While children and learners are preparing to return, staff are preparing classrooms, organising activities, managing timetables and making sure everything is ready for the new academic year. For employers, however, September can also highlight staffing problems that have been building throughout the summer.
Perhaps you still have vacancies that you have not been able to fill. Maybe you have struggled to find candidates with the right experience, or an existing member of staff has left at the worst possible time. You may also have a team that is technically fully staffed but already stretched, making it difficult to provide the level of support, supervision and activities you want for children and learners. Whatever the situation, starting a new academic year short-staffed can put additional pressure on everyone.
The good news is that recruitment does not have to rely entirely on finding experienced candidates who are already working elsewhere. Apprenticeships offer an alternative way to bring motivated people into your organisation, develop their skills and build a stronger workforce over time. For schools and education providers in particular, this can provide a practical solution to both immediate staffing requirements and longer-term workforce development.
One of the biggest challenges facing employers is finding people who already have the exact experience they need. Education, childcare and activity-based roles require a particular combination of communication, organisation, patience, responsibility and the ability to work effectively with children and young people. Candidates with all of these qualities and significant previous experience can be difficult to find, particularly when many organisations are recruiting at the same time.
Apprenticeships allow employers to approach recruitment differently. Instead of looking exclusively for someone who already has every skill required for the role, you can recruit someone with the right attitude, enthusiasm and potential and support them as they develop. The apprentice becomes part of your team while completing structured training, meaning they gain practical experience in your setting alongside the knowledge and skills needed for their qualification.
This can be particularly valuable when recruiting for education and childcare roles because so much of the learning happens through experience. An apprentice can learn how your setting operates, understand your expectations and become familiar with the children, colleagues and routines they will be working with. Over time, they can develop the confidence and capability needed to make a meaningful contribution to your team.
For organisations that provide breakfast clubs, after-school activities, holiday programmes or play-based provision, the Level 2 Playworker apprenticeship can provide a route into developing new talent. The programme is designed around supporting children’s learning and development through safe, creative and inclusive play, making it relevant to a wide range of settings where children need positive activities and supervision outside of the traditional classroom environment.
Schools looking for additional classroom support can consider the Level 3 Teaching Assistant apprenticeship. The programme develops the practical skills and knowledge needed to support teaching and learning across different educational settings, giving apprentices the opportunity to gain valuable workplace experience while working towards a recognised qualification. For employers, this can provide additional capacity within the classroom while creating a pathway for an individual who wants to build a long-term career in education.
Apprenticeships can also support the development of existing employees rather than only being used to recruit new staff. If you already have Teaching Assistants who are taking on more responsibility or supporting pupils with additional needs, the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship can help them develop more advanced skills. Similarly, further education and adult learning providers can use the Level 5 Learning & Skills Teacher apprenticeship to develop teaching professionals working with learners aged 16 and above.
This means apprenticeship recruitment does not necessarily have to be about solving a single vacancy. It can be part of a wider strategy for building the workforce your organisation needs. You can recruit new talent into entry-level roles, develop existing employees into more specialist positions and create progression pathways that help retain talented people within your organisation.
Retention is particularly important when staffing pressures are already high. Recruiting someone new takes time and resources, and continually replacing employees can make it difficult to build a stable team. Apprenticeships give employers the opportunity to develop people from within the organisation, helping them build relationships, understand the culture of the setting and see a future within the business. For employees, knowing that their employer is investing in their development can also create a stronger sense of progression and purpose.
There are also financial reasons why employers should consider apprenticeships as part of their recruitment strategy. Government support has made apprenticeship recruitment increasingly accessible, with eligible employers able to benefit from a range of incentives and funding depending on the apprentice and organisation. Many eligible apprentices under the age of 25 can also benefit from fully or majority funded training, while employers may be able to access National Insurance relief where applicable. The combination of available support can help reduce the overall cost of recruiting and developing new members of staff.
For schools, clubs and education settings, the financial support available can make it easier to think beyond short-term recruitment and consider the longer-term value of developing an apprentice. Rather than simply paying to recruit someone who already has experience, employers can invest in an individual who develops their skills within the organisation and becomes increasingly valuable as their confidence and capability grow.
Of course, finding the right apprentice can still feel like another task to add to an already busy workload. This is why Educationwise provides a free recruitment service for employers. We can help advertise your apprenticeship vacancy, attract suitable applicants and shortlist candidates, making the process easier for organisations that may not have the time or resources to manage every stage of recruitment themselves.
This support can be particularly useful when September staffing problems have left teams under pressure. You do not need to spend hours writing job adverts, searching for candidates and working through unsuitable applications before you can begin considering the right people. Our recruitment service is designed to make finding an apprentice as straightforward as possible, allowing you to focus on running your setting and preparing for the new academic year.
It is also worth remembering that recruitment does not stop once September begins. If you have not been able to fill every vacancy before the first day of term, that does not mean the opportunity has passed. An apprentice joining during September or shortly afterwards can still become an important part of your team, develop their skills throughout the academic year and contribute increasingly as they gain experience.
In fact, approaching recruitment as an ongoing process rather than a one-off September deadline can help organisations become more resilient. Staff will always move on, teams will grow and the needs of children and learners will change. Having a clear approach to recruiting and developing future talent means you are better prepared when those changes happen.
The most effective staffing solution will always depend on the needs of your organisation. However, if you are struggling to recruit experienced candidates, facing skills shortages or looking for a more sustainable way to build your team, apprenticeships are worth considering. They provide a way to recruit based on potential, develop practical skills through real workplace experience and create employees who understand your organisation from the inside out.
Whether you need a Playworker for your breakfast or after-school provision, additional classroom support through a Teaching Assistant apprentice, specialist expertise through a Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant or future teaching talent through a Learning & Skills Teacher apprenticeship, there are routes available to help you develop the people your organisation needs.
September staffing problems can feel like a significant challenge, but they can also be an opportunity to rethink how you recruit. Instead of continually competing for experienced candidates, you can start building your own talent pipeline and develop people who can grow with your organisation.
If your team is still short-staffed this September, it is not too late to explore your options. Educationwise can help you understand the apprenticeship programmes available, the funding and incentives you may be eligible for and how our free recruitment service can help you find the right apprentice for your organisation. With the right approach, an apprenticeship could help you solve today’s staffing challenges while building a stronger team for the future.