Issued by City of York Council
City of York Council today welcomes the news that Leeds City Region Partnership has successfully secured £4.6m in government funding to support proposals to boost apprenticeships in the area.
As part of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), York will benefit from the initiatives that will seek to generate 2,500 additional apprenticeships for 16-24 year olds over the next three years, primarily with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
As part of the plans, York will be home to one of eight Apprenticeship Hubs to be created in the region. The hubs will be tasked with persuading and informing smaller businesses about the benefits of employing young people as apprentices and reducing the bureaucracy involved in taking them on as well as working to improve the information available on apprenticeships to young people and their parents.
Working with the National Apprenticeship Service and York Training Providers Group the council will lead on implementing the proposals under the title Supporting Apprenticeships in York. This will involve:
- Appointing a local Business Development Officer to meet with firms interested in taking on apprentices aged 16 to 24 to run through the business benefits, options, costs and wage incentives available, link with a training provider and help with job descriptions and advertising to attract the best talent
- Improving apprenticeship information for SMEs and young people aged 16-24 to ensure that the best talent is coming forward to fill new vacancies. There is an increasing interest in Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships from A level and Level 3 Diploma students, as an alternative to Higher Education particularly in the Business, Financial and Professional Services sector.
Council Leader and Vice Chair of the Leeds City Region Employment and Skills Board, Councillor James Alexander, said: “We’re absolutely delighted with this news.
“The council has long been a champion of apprenticeships as a way to help us tackle youth unemployment and reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs). But we also know that every £1 invested in apprenticeships generates £18 back to the economy and provides long lasting benefits for the business sector.
“These initiatives will help to ensure that young people in York who are keen to earn and learn will get quality opportunities across a range of industries and we will be able to match the best city talent to apprenticeships to support local businesses grow and prosper.
“The news also demonstrates that our push to get funding devolved to support our local economy and business needs from the Leeds City Region’s City Deal is working.”
Local businesses who would like more information on apprenticeships or to request a visit from the Business Development Officer are asked to contact Julia Massey, Partnership Manager, City of York Council on 07769 640241 or email [email protected]. More information can also be found on www.yorkmeansbusiness.com.
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