COLLEGE APPRENTICESHIPS AHEAD OF NATIONAL TREND IN BOOST TO TARGETS

Image caption: Using mobile phones to transfer information.

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College is seeing a rise in new apprenticeship starts amid concerns that the target of reaching three million by 2020 may be missed. The College now supports 775 apprentices and is on course to exceed its recruitment target for 2018-19.

Chris Tullin, Director for Business Development at the College said, “We are very encouraged by the interest in, and commitment to, apprenticeships in our region. The College has seen a shift towards construction and HR-related apprenticeships this year.

“We would love to hear from Levy paying businesses that are keen to support their supply chain through the levy transfer scheme. All levy-paying employers can now transfer unused funding to other businesses, supporting them with the cost of training apprentices within their own organisations.”

Despite fears that apprenticeship numbers have seen a decline in recent years, Education Secretary Damian Hinds said that provision was now of “much higher quality” and better reflected what employers wanted.

Chris Tullin added, “We have worked hard on switching to the new accredited standards for apprenticeships which include a more employer-centric delivery model. These can be adapted to the specific requirements of individual organisations and are much more flexible, which has promoted engagement.”

The College’s business development team can provide information on skills gaps within the market and advice on future training plans so that organisations can maximise their apprenticeships and get help with funding. It also provides access to a range of short courses and a significant on demand distance learning offer.

Chris Tullin said, “We can support businesses to recruit the right apprentice, taking them through initial assessments and providing advice and guidance. This can be carried out on employers’ premises on a local or national basis.

“Currently, we are looking for hairdressing candidates for a number of salons so potential new recruits should get in touch today.”

Click here to find out about hairdressing apprenticeships. 

Click here to find out more about transferring your apprenticeship levy.