Businesses in England: tell us about your experience of taking on apprentices

The government has announced plans to create thousands more apprenticeships in England as part of wider reforms to technical and vocational education.We’d like to hear from employers who have taken on apprentices. What has your experience been like? Have apprentices benefited your organisation? What have been the biggest challenges? What changes or government support would encourage you to offer more apprenticeship opportunities?If you’ve decided not to recruit apprentices or would like to take on more than you currently do, we’d also like to hear why. What barriers have you faced? Are funding, costs, administration, training requirements or finding suitable candidates making it difficult?Share your experienceYou can share your response using this form.Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide.NameWhere do you live?Tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. age, background, what you do) OptionalWhat has your experience of taking on apprentices been like?Please include as much detail as possible. Have apprentices benefited your organisation? What have been the biggest challenges?Please include as much detail as possible. What changes or government support would encourage you to offer more apprenticeship opportunities?Please include as much detail as possible. If you’ve decided not to recruit apprentices or would like to take on more than you currently do, we’d also like to hear why. What barriers have you faced? Are funding, costs, administration, training requirements or finding suitable candidates making it difficult? OptionalPlease include as much detail as possible. If you are happy to, please upload a photo of yourself here OptionalPlease note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB.Choose fileYour contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.Email address Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.You can add more information here OptionalIf you include other people's names please ask them first.By submitting your response, you are agreeing to share your details with us for this feature.If you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.