Small businesses (SMEs) across the region could now consider apprenticeships where previously the cost of funding an apprentice may have created a barrier.
To enable up to 20,000 more apprenticeships with a number of reforms, the government has pledged to pay the full cost of apprenticeships for people aged 21 or under at small firms from 1 April 2024, and is promising £60m of new investment for next year.
East Midlands Chamber Head of Employment Services Paul Needham said: “We know the value apprenticeships have on young people, in giving them real skills from a busy workplace and experiencing the challenges a business faces in a real world situation each day. For too long cost has been a barrier for many would-be apprentices and SMEs”.
Richard Purseglove at Kingfield Electronics Ltd vouches for apprenticeships with recent apprentice Adam Hardwick now a fully qualified Electronics Engineer, “An apprentice brings in new ideas, technologies, and ways of thinking into the business. Many aspects of the course have been very useful for Adam and even the areas that we don’t use on a day-to-day basis are valuable to have an appreciation of.
“Throughout the apprenticeship the communication from college has been great via phone, email, and regular on-site visits. Should we look at taking on more apprentices in the future, Chesterfield College would be our first choice.”
Now cost barriers have been lifted is your business looking to upskill or recruit? Find out more about the benefits of taking on an apprentice here.
Another SME view of apprenticeships – Smiths of Derby: