Conservative Controlled Council Calls on Employers to Take On an Apprentice

Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council is urging employers to offer more apprenticeships to the county’s young people.

‘Let’s talk jobs’ is Staffordshire County Council’s latest drive to make sure young people know about the importance of getting good careers and jobs advice.  But the campaign is also turning its attention to local employers and letting them know about the free advice available through the apprenticeship helpline.

The helpline, launched last year by Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership has already helped over 60 employers, giving them the advice they need to successfully take on an apprentice.

The helpline, available on 0300 111 8002, has trained advisers standing by to give advice on taking on an apprentice in your business and has access to experts who can help you move forward with everything from finding the right young person, the steps needed to set up a successful apprenticeship programme, and accessing the grants available for employers taking on their first apprentice.

Cllr Ben Adams, Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills with Staffordshire County Council said, “Our latest ‘Let’s talk jobs’ campaign is all about making sure young people get good jobs and careers advice but we also need employers to play their part.  We want more employers to consider taking on an apprentice and we want to support them to do this through our helpline.

“A key priority for us is to increase the number of apprentices across the county.  We now have nearly 14,000 apprentices working across a range of industry sectors, which is well up on three years ago.  Our own apprenticeship programme is continuing to give young people great opportunities, taking on almost 500 apprentices since 2009.

Businesses benefit from taking on an apprentice in lots of different ways, including having the ability to train someone in line with the business needs, and bringing in fresh ideas and ways of doing things, as well as bringing energy and enthusiasm into the workplace.

The Apprenticeship Helpline is available on 0300 111 8002, and dedicated webpages on http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/Apprenticeships/Gettinganapprentice.aspx also have a wealth of information.

To find out more about the ‘Let’s talk jobs’ campaign visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/letstalkjobs.