Barclays pledges support to create 10,000 new apprentices

BUSINESSES across England have been promised free support to take on a local apprentice under a new nationwide initiative launched in Birmingham.

The Barclays Bridges Into Work programme aims to get 10,000 young people into work with SMEs across the country.
 
Local Barclays teams will play a key role in matching up suitable apprentices and businesses in their area. The programme is being delivered in partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service, charity partners Tomorrow’s People and The Princes Trust.

In addition, Barclays has pledged to double the number of apprentices it is recruiting into its own workforce to 2,000.

The new programme will build on work already implemented by Barclays to recruit 1,000 new apprentices this year. Allied with this will be the National Apprenticeship Service’s existing support to help SMEs to create new apprenticeships.
 
The Bridges Into Work programme has been designed to overcome barriers to the creation of apprenticeships especially in smaller businesses. The problems were uncovered by new research that found:
•    More than 50% of SMEs (52%) said they would not take on an apprentice due to fears about the amount time it takes to set up and the additional support they thought a young person would need.
•    Time is the most significant barrier for companies with 250-500 employees (61%), while perceived red tape was the biggest factor for smaller companies with just 5-9 employees (39%).
•    However, 76% of SMEs said they would want to be part of a scheme that helped set up apprenticeships for young people.
 
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “We can only build a stronger economy and get more people into work by working with businesses. This funding from Barclays will do just that.

“It will offer 10,000 young people a chance to get the skills they need to enter the workplace. It will help small companies who are nervous about taking that first step to recruiting an apprentice, by matching them with the right young people and offering advice on how they can get the most out of an apprentice.”

Ashok Vaswani, Chief Executive of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, said: “We’ve seen first hand how our apprentices are incredibly productive and valued members of staff, which is why we are now doubling our recruitment to 2,000.
 
“We want to help local businesses to take on their own apprentices and will support them every step of the way.”

David Way, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service, said initiatives such as that put forward by Barclays were vital if the number of apprenticeships was to increase.

 “What makes Bridges Into Work so incredibly important is that Barclays will also work with government and training providers to develop suitable young people to fill these opportunities.

“Our specialist small business team and free recruitment service makes it as easy as possible for small businesses to take on an apprentice and will complement the Bridges into Work programme,” he said.