Apprenticeships: more than an internship, a strategic investment

As a manager, SME founder, or HR head, you face a constant challenge: attracting and retaining talent. Recruitment is expensive, skill shortages are real, and the new generation (Gen Z) is looking for more than a salary; they seek culture and purpose.

In light of this, the idea of hiring a trainee/apprentice might seem like an added burden. Someone to train, management time to invest, administrative formalities...

What if you changed your perspective?

At Meetern, we are convinced that apprenticeships are not a cost, but one of the most profitable investments you can make. It’s not about hiring cheap labor; it’s about pre-recruiting your future employees and shaping them to your culture.

Here is why integrating apprenticeships is a winning strategy for your growth, and how to find the perfect "match" that will turn this investment into success.

What are traineeships/apprenticeships, from a company perspective?

Simply put, the traineeship/apprenticeship is a tripartite partnership. You (the company), an educational institution (training center, university college, etc.) and the student.

Unlike a classic intern who comes to observe occasionally or work for a short period, the apprentice is a salaried employee in training. They divide their time between theoretical courses and a concrete presence in your teams to put their knowledge into practice.

In Belgium, this commitment takes several forms, the most common being:

• The contrat d'alternance (Wallonia/Brussels) and duaal leren (Flanders): Often linked to training centers (IFAPME, EFP, CEFA...). You host a young person to teach them a profession over the long term (6 months to 3 years).
• The FPIe (formation professionnelle individuelle) : Managed by Forem or Actiris, this is a tool with incredible flexibility. You train an unemployed job seeker (often a young graduate) for a specific position, with financial benefits, and you commit to hiring them if they are suitable.
• The IBO (individuele beroepsopleiding): The Flemish equivalent of the FPI, managed by the VDAB, with the same efficiency.

In any case, the objective is the same: to train someone in your methods, on your tools, so that they are 100% operational and aligned with your needs.

The 5 returns on investment (ROI) of traineeships/apprenticeships

Let's forget the short-term view. Here's what you truly gain by hosting an apprentice.

1. Talent shaped to your culture (the "human" ROI)

This is the number one advantage, at the heart of Meetern's DNA. Recruiting a senior often means having to "deconstruct" old habits. Training a trainee/apprentice is about building together.

You transmit your values, your working methods, your "way of doing things." You invest in a personality that will grow with you. The result? An employee who, at the end of their training, is not only competent, but perfectly integrated. Loyalty and commitment are incomparably higher.

2. A lower-risk recruitment pipeline

The cost of a recruitment error is astronomical (we are talking thousands of euros).

The traineeship/apprenticeship is the longest and most effective trial period. For 12, 24, or 36 months, you have the opportunity to validate the technical skills (hard skills) and, more importantly, the human skills (soft skills) of the student. You are no longer recruiting based on a CV or an intuition; you are recruiting based on proven performance and a validated cultural "match".

3. A fresh perspective that stimulates your teams

The apprentice does not arrive "empty-handed." They arrive with the most recent academic knowledge.

A digital native, they ask questions your teams no longer ask ("why do we do it this way?"). They bring a new energy, an instinctive mastery of new tools (notably AI) and a fresh perspective that can unlock situations and stimulate internal innovation.

4. A concrete answer to the skill shortage

Are you looking for a back-end developer, a digital marketing expert, or a specialized technician? Good luck in the current market.

The apprenticeship allows you to bypass the shortage. Instead of looking for a profile that doesn't exist (or is unaffordable), you create it. In partnership with a training center, you take a motivated young person and train them exactly in the technologies and skills you need. You become autonomous in managing your talent.

5. A significant financial and social advantage

Yes, the investment is also financial. Hiring a trainee/apprentice entitles you, in Belgium, to numerous aids and reductions in social contributions.

These incentives (which vary according to the regions and the type of contract) are designed to drastically lighten the salary cost. To make an informed choice, it is essential to compare the net cost of an apprentice/trainee to that of a classic recruitment (including agency fees, time spent, and the risk of error). To help you, you can consult our guide on  the remuneration of internships in Belgium to make an informed choice. Apprenticeships are very often a very profitable solution. Apprenticeships are, in most cases, a very profitable solution.

The Meetern mindset: the trainee/apprentice is not an intern

For this investment to pay off, a change in mindset is necessary.

An intern is often passing through for a few weeks or months. An apprentice is a future employee.

The success of the apprenticeship rests on one pillar: the tutor (or internship supervisor). This is the person who will guide the student, transmit their know-how, and maintain the link with the school. This role is crucial and must be valued within your company. To help you structure this supervision, consult our article on hosting an intern: method and best practices.

The apprentice must have a clear job description, defined objectives, and an integration path. It is by investing this management time initially that you will reap the rewards of their autonomy later.

How to find the perfect "match" beyond the CV?

The biggest challenge is here. How to recruit a young person who, by definition, has little or no experience on their CV?

The answer is simple: stop recruiting solely based on the CV. Recruit based on personality.

This is Meetern's mission. We built our platform to solve this problem. We don't just list diplomas; we help students show who they are.

• Look for motivation: a student who has taken the initiative to look for an apprenticeship demonstrates maturity and a willingness to commit.
• Evaluate "soft skills": curiosity, adaptability, proactivity, and team spirit are far more important than mastering software (which can be learned).
• Validate the culture: is your company highly structured or rather agile and start-up? Ensure that the student's personality matches your working environment. A cultural "match" is the guarantee of a successful integration.

Ready to invest in your future talent?

Hosting an apprentice is a strategic act. It is refusing to be subject to the labor market and deciding to actively train the talent you will need tomorrow. It is an investment of time that generates invaluable returns in skills, loyalty, and innovation.

At Meetern, we help you find not just an apprentice, but your future employee.

• Search for apprentice profiles on Meetern
• Find the personality that "matches" your team. Publish your apprenticeship, FPI, or IBO offer on Meetern and discover motivated profiles, ready to invest in your company.