Working with growing agencies, we often see the same hesitation around apprenticeships. When work feels non-stop and clients expect quick turnaround times, bringing in someone inexperienced can feel like a risk.
As a result, many agency owners choose to hire someone with more experience, even when it comes at a significantly higher cost. It’s something we see regularly.
But with wage costs continuing to rise, driven by increases to the National Living Wage and higher employer National Insurance contributions, apprenticeships are becoming a more practical option for some growing agencies. In certain situations, they can be a better long-term investment than hiring a fully trained employee.
So how do you decide what’s right for your agency?
What an apprentice actually is
An apprentice is an employee who combines paid work with structured training. They work towards a recognised qualification while gaining hands-on experience within your business.
They are not short-term or unpaid help. They are part of your team and should have real responsibilities, but they are still learning. That difference matters because the value usually builds over time rather than immediately.
For agencies, apprentices are often brought in to support areas such as:
- social media scheduling and reporting
- content creation
- design production work
- admin and project coordination
- PR and communications support
- marketing assistance
The right role depends on where your bottlenecks are and which tasks are taking time away from senior staff.
The financial side
Many agency owners assume apprenticeships are expensive, but they are often more affordable than expected.
While an apprentice is learning, their pay is usually lower than a more experienced hire, and depending on the apprentice and the size of your business, training costs may be fully or partly funded. In some cases, additional employer incentives may also be available.
That can make apprenticeships a more realistic option for agencies that need additional support but are not yet ready to commit to another senior salary.
It is also worth comparing the cost properly. Agencies often weigh up apprentices against freelancers or experienced hires, but the long-term value can look very different over a two or three-year period.
The advantages
One of the biggest benefits is the ability to train someone around your way of working from the start. Rather than trying to reshape habits from previous roles, you can build good systems, processes and communication standards early on.
Over time, this can lead to a team member who fits your agency particularly well.
Apprenticeships can also support long-term retention. People who develop within a business are often more likely to stay and grow with it.
There is also a practical hiring benefit. Many agencies are finding it difficult to recruit experienced people at a salary level that makes commercial sense. Developing junior talent internally can sometimes be more sustainable than relying entirely on the recruitment market.
The drawbacks
The biggest consideration is time.
An apprentice will need support, particularly in the early stages, and that responsibility usually falls on senior team members who are already busy. Training, feedback and supervision all take time before the role starts delivering real value.
You should also expect productivity to build gradually rather than immediately.
In short, an apprentice is not a quick fix. If your agency urgently needs someone who can manage client work independently from day one, an apprenticeship may not be the right solution on its own.
Is it worth hiring an apprentice?
Possibly.
An apprentice can be a strong investment if:
- your agency is growing steadily
- senior staff have time to support development
- you are thinking long-term
- junior support would free up higher-value time elsewhere in the business
On the other hand, if your team is already overstretched and you need immediate delivery capacity, a more experienced hire may be the better option.
For many businesses, the right answer sits somewhere in the middle. Some use apprenticeships to strengthen the junior end of the team while relying on freelancers or senior hires for specialist work.
How we can help
If you are considering hiring an apprentice, we can help you understand the true cost compared to other hiring options and identify what funding or support may be available to your agency.
To get in touch, call us on 020 3997 6165 or book a call with our team.
