College urge local employers to take advantage of apprenticeship opportunities

Employers can now get even more funding for an apprentice from the Government.

The incentive scheme runs from August 1 2020 until January 31 2021 and means that employers with a wage bill of less than £3 million can get increased government funding for taking on an apprentice. During this period, the incentives will be £3,000 for 16–18-year olds, £2,000 for 19-24-year olds and £1,500 for 25 years and older.

Corinne Brown, business solutions manager at Shrewsbury Colleges Group (SCG), said: “There really hasn’t been a better time to hire an apprentice, with the additional support on offer from the Government.

“We know many local and national businesses may have suffered significantly during this difficult period of time, but as we return to a more normal way of life, now might be the right time for many Shropshire businesses to plan for the future and take on extra help.

“Taking on an apprentice can help freshen up and diversify a workforce, and we have lots of great young people searching for their opportunity to start a career.

“The Business Solutions team at SCG can support the varied local businesses to take on an apprentice in the many different industries sectors in Shropshire and the surrounding areas.”

Flexibility

The current circumstances mean that many companies in Shropshire and the surrounding areas need increased flexibility within their workforce in order to adapt to the new conditions.

The wide selection of apprenticeships on offer in conjunction with SCG means that an apprentice can cover lots of different job roles within any business. Also, as the training for the job is a blend of in college education at SCG as well as on-the-job training within the organisation, the training approach can be adapted to suit the business’s current needs.

Nationally, 90 per cent of apprentices stay with the business after completing their apprenticeship, which shows how effective the ‘on the job’ training is.

The benefits of taking on an apprentice for businesses don’t end there, with 86 per cent of employers saying apprentices developed just the right skills for their organisation and 78 per cent of employers reporting apprentices helped improve their productivity.

Jack Foulkes, 20, from Four Crosses completed Level 3 and is going on to complete his Level 4 accounting qualifications through SCG.

He said: “For me this is a better alternative to university. I started off doing work experience at Dyke Yaxley and was offered an apprenticeship. All the teachers at Shrewsbury Colleges Group are really helpful and knowledgeable and the course is so well set up and run, then I can put what I learn into practice in my job.”

The Business Solutions team at SCG can be contacted on 07792 039731