Businesses across Shropshire can claim up to £6,000 in incentives for taking on young apprentices, giving them the chance to grow their own skilled workforce.
Telford College is encouraging businesses to make the most of the support as a new £2,000 payment for small and medium-sized businesses comes into force this month.
The college has individuals ready and waiting to start apprenticeships, with placements needed across a range of sectors, specifically around accountancy and finance, HR, software development, manufacturing, property maintenance and electrical.
Sarah Davies, Executive Director of Employer Engagement and Partnerships at Telford College, said the incentives came at the right time for local businesses.
She said: “This is a great time for businesses to take on an apprentice. We speak to employers all the time who are struggling to find people with the right skills, and these incentives make it easier and more affordable for them to train their own.
“Our young people are ready and waiting. They want to learn on the job, earn a wage and build a career, and an apprenticeship lets an employer shape that person around the way its business works.
“Employers need apprentices and apprentices need employers. Our team can talk any business through what it is eligible for and help with the claims, so I’d encourage anyone thinking about taking on an apprentice to get in touch.”
Three incentives are on offer. All employers can claim £1,000 when they take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18, or aged 19 to 24 if an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is in place. From this month, small and medium-sized employers can also claim £2,000 for each new apprentice aged 16 to 24.
On top of this, the Government’s Youth Jobs Grant pays employers up to £3,000 when they hire someone aged 18 to 24 who has been claiming universal credit and looking for work for at least six months.
Telford College has potential apprentices ready to start apprenticeships in several sectors where it needs more employers to come forward including engineering (particularly food and drink engineering and mechatronics), electrical installation and maintenance, property maintenance, HR and finance.
The college works closely with employers to shape its training. Earlier this year, Kraft Heinz, Avara Foods and Pickstock helped it design the new Level 3 Food and Drink Maintenance Engineering apprenticeship, after manufacturers at its Employer Skills Hubs raised a gap in practical engineering skills.
The college’s call comes as the country focuses on getting more young people into work.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The government’s review into young people and work, led by former health secretary Alan Milburn, warned in its interim findings that the number could reach 1.25 million within five years without reform. It also found 84 per cent of these young people want to work or train.
“As the country waits for the Milburn review’s final recommendations, employers have a real chance to make a difference now,” said Sarah.
“Every apprenticeship gives a young person a start, and these incentives mean it costs a business far less to offer one.”
Employers interested in taking on an apprentice or finding out which incentives they are eligible for should email businesssolutions@telfordcollege.ac.uk or call 01952 642452.
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