COVENTRY College has reported the start of an apprenticeships recovery amid the Covid economic fallout – enrolling 100 16 to 24-year-olds since September.
A drive in apprenticeship demand from the construction, plumbing and automotive sectors, has been described by college recruitment team leader Lorraine Cole as a “really encouraging sign”, despite UK redundancies rocketing at a record rate and businesses facing ongoing challenges across the region.
It follows the introduction of the government’s Kickstart scheme, where employers receive state funding for taking on 16 to-24-year-olds in receipt of Universal Credit for a six-month job placement. This includes a £1,500 grant if needed, while each apprentice’s national minimum wage is also paid for by government.
Lorraine, who helps connect employers with potential young candidates, said: “The business community has been in damage limitation mode for quite some time, so to see nearly 100 of our apprentices securing placements in industry over the past three months is a really encouraging sign – and a strong platform to build on.
“The financial aid provided by the government’s Kickstart scheme has undoubtedly helped small businesses to be able to recruit young people, while others are sole traders who have had to carry on working through the pandemic when they’ve been allowed to, and have turned to an apprentice to help them meet demand.
“For example, our motor vehicle apprentices have been assisting their wider industry’s efforts to meet a backlog of demand for MOTs and vehicle servicing, while some plumbers have needed extra resource to respond to more domestic enquiries because more people are now spending more time at home.
“We are also starting to see more companies using the government’s traineeship programme – where they receive a £1,000 payment for each young person they provide work experience to for six months before potentially offering them an apprenticeship.”
For more information about apprenticeship recruitment email: [email protected]
