The message for Worcestershire employers and young people alike is clear; Apprenticeships are good for business and for a successful career.
That’s the message being promoted by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, the business group driving investment in the county’s economy.
The number of apprenticeship places in Worcestershire has risen by a staggering 218 per cent over the last 12 months. Latest data shows that there are more than 5,670 places available in 2012, compared to 2,590 places in 2011. It is projected that there will be 7,000 by the end of 2013.
The big increase in apprenticeships comes as a national survey of 500 top companies reveals that employers now rate job candidates with apprenticeships as 25 per cent “more employable” than people with other qualifications including degrees.
The Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership has set a target to achieve 10,000 apprenticeship places in Worcestershire by 2016.
Carl Arntzen, chairman of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership Employment and Skills Board, and managing director of Bosch Thermotechnology Ltd said: “Apprenticeships are a vital element of the training of our young people.
“Too much emphasis has been placed in recent years on purely academic education by encouraging as many students as possible to take A-Levels and go on to university.
“I am delighted to see such a strong focus here in Worcestershire on re-establishing apprenticeships as a core part of Worcestershire’s strategy for developing the necessary skills in the workforce.”
The Board has vigorously promoted apprenticeship schemes, supporting four Real Apprenticeship Events which were held across the county working closely with employers such as Worcester Bosch, Mazak and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as smaller businesses recruiting apprentices for the first time.
Paul Dolphin, Quality Manager at Worcester based Aeromet International plc said: “Over the years apprenticeship scheme has proved vital by producing engineers with unrivalled knowledge of our process, staying with us for many years.
F8 Creates took on an apprentice for the first time a year ago.
Managing director Hamish Gill, said: “Our experience of the type of people who apply for apprenticeships has been very positive. We found the experience so positive that we took on two within a year. For a small company like ours it would be hard to justify any other means of finding employment.”
Hannah Astbury-Jones is an IT apprentice at Sanctuary Group,
“I always excelled in IT, so I looked into apprenticeships after my A Levels. I have grown in confidence and am a completely different person. The money is a huge plus – earning while you are learning, means experience without debts. I am treated as an equal at Sanctuary and have the same work opportunities as everyone else,” she said.
Hannah has already been offered a permanent job when her apprenticeship finishes in June.