(Partners and apprentices at the launch of The Salford Skills for Business Apprenticeship Fund Launch)
14 March 2019
Private and public sector organisations have joined forces to create a new apprenticeship fund. The fund has been formed to help small to medium sized organisations, within the City of Salford, unlock new talent, with Apprenticeships at Salford City College at the forefront of this new initiative.
The Salford Skills for Business Apprenticeship Fund will be invested in apprenticeship training within small to medium sized organisations (under 250 employees) throughout the City. Helping to create more quality and sustainable apprenticeship roles for Salford residents.
The fund will also help existing employers close skills gaps in key sectors such as health and social care, digital, manufacturing and construction, hospitality, business and professional services.
Apprenticeships at Salford City College have teamed up with Salford City Council, The University of Salford, Bupa, Salix Homes and Seddon, to gift up to a quarter of a million pounds of their own apprenticeship training funds to small and medium sized organisations in Salford. The fund is expected to grow as more organisations confirm funding in the coming weeks and months.
The partnership has also secured a further £114,000 Greater Manchester Combined Authority funding to support a proportion of apprentices’ salary costs.
Michael Sheehan, Group Principal of SCC Group, of which Apprenticeships at Salford City College is a subsidiary of, said: “The world of apprenticeships has undergone significant change in recent times. The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy and the subsequent collection of apprenticeship fees is the most significant change. The levy has presented many positives, especially for those larger firms who are using it effectively. However, one of the challenges has been for small to medium size organisations who have had to find the 10% employer contribution. For some of our regular employers, this can be as much as £1800. Although not a huge amount, in many cases this can negatively affect the decision of a small organisation to recruit an apprentice or not.
“With that in mind, we are very proud to be one of the co-creators of this fund, which will enable this partnership to support the development of apprenticeship opportunities across the City.”
On Thursday 7 March 2019, all of the fund partners met for the official launch of The Salford Skills for Business Apprenticeship Fund at Bupa Place, MediaCityUK. The first beneficiaries of the fund are expected to be announced in April.
Apprenticeships at Salford City College are an outstanding provider of apprenticeships in Greater Manchester. The college boasts having over 1,300 apprentices on programme, the majority of whom are employed in one of the key growth sectors in Greater Manchester. 80% of their apprentices succeed in completing their apprenticeship and go on to further employment, which is an incredible 13% above the national average.
If you’d like more information about The Salford Skills for Business Apprenticeship Fund, taking on an apprentice or becoming one, please contact Apprenticeships at Salford City College on 0161 631 5555 or by emailing apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk. 