Selected employers in England and Wales working with training provider JTL will receive £30 per week for every extra apprentice they employ if they qualify for the Government financial initiative to step up training in the construction sector.
Known as the Apprenticeship Expansion Scheme, the initiative will be targeted toward JTL employers who have an excellent proven track record in providing high quality apprentices and need support during the downturn to expand their numbers.
JTL will support 400 Advanced Apprenticeships and is only one of two training providers in the construction sector out of the 16 firms selected to manage the project to provide 3,000 young people with placements over two years.
JTL Chief Executive Denis Hird said: “We work with employers England and Wakes with a terrific track record in training up young people and winning this contract reflects the Government’s confidence in JTL’s expertise in delivering Advanced Apprenticeships in the building services industry.
“Initiatives like this are very timely and welcome, everyone knows someone who is suffering in the present climate but if employers do not take a long term view they will not have the skilled staff available to undertake future projects.”
The £30 subsidy will be paid for 12 months and payment is made to the employer by BACS upon receipt of the attendance record indicating that the apprentice has been present or authorised absent.
Employers wishing to apply for the scheme can get full details from their JTL training officer while applicants will go through existing rigorous JTL criteria before they are recommended to an employer.
JTL partners with over 300 large scale and small companies in England and Wales providing electrical and plumbing apprentices.
Participating employers and JTL will track apprentices’ progress, claims and payments as well as monitor activity and provide information and intelligence on the trial.
Despite the economic downturn, the Government is concerned the UK still faces a major shortage of skills in the next decade if employers let up on their commitment to take on apprentices.
Skills Secretary John Denham said: “The businesses we have signed agreements with will be able to train more apprentices, thanks to the £11 million of funding. In these tough times we are determined to do all we can to support business to prepare for the upturn and continue to invest in improving the skills of the nation’s workforce.”
The Government aims to ensure suitably qualified young people will have the right to an apprenticeship place and over the next ten years one in five young people will be able to start an apprenticeship with 400,000 apprentices on recognised programmes by 2020.
JTL apprentices are more likely to successfully qualify in their chosen occupation. Around 70 per cent of the young people who start an Advanced Apprenticeship each year with JTL will complete it, compared to a national average of 50 per cent.
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