NAS: A bright future ahead for Apprenticeships in 2011
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By Nick Wilson, regional director for the National Apprenticeship Service in Yorkshire and the Humber Build on the terrific strides being made by Apprenticeships in 2010 – that is the clear objective for the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and every apprentice, employer, college and training provider across Yorkshire and the Humber as we look forward for 2011. There is no doubt that 2010 has been an extremely pivotal year for the growth of Apprenticeships – rubber-stamped by the Government’s Autumn pledge to boost spending on adult Apprenticeships by up to £250m by 2014-15 and provide up to an additional 75,000 Apprenticeship places. And before looking ahead to 2011, I thought I’d take this opportunity to briefly share with you some of the major highlights, achievements and results that have illustrated the tremendous progress made by Apprenticeships over the last 12 months: • 30,000 additional employer leads generated directly by the NAS which has already resulted in over 22,000 additional starts • A Public Sector Strategy which has led to a doubling of starts in the sector to 36,000 • Growth in the number of 16-18 year olds on Apprenticeships, supported by Department for Education (DfE), Connexions and other key partners, which is far outperforming the labour market • Delivery of the AGE wage subsidy which led to over 5,000 starts for aged 16/17 unemployed young people – the vast majority being employed by SMEs of which most were participating in Apprenticeships for the first time • The Apprenticeship vacancies online system has advertised over 52,000 vacancies and 51% have been filled directly by this means • Visits to the Apprenticeship website are three times what they were two years ago and our PR and media work has resulted in an Advertising Value Equivalency of £3.8m a month (or £45.6m over the year). It was clearly a landmark year for Apprenticeships in 2010, but the momentum and hard work doesn’t stop here. There is still a massive need for more employers to provide Apprenticeships across Yorkshire and the Humber as apprentices are playing a vital role in today’s business world and are helping spearhead the region’s future long-term economic growth. Apprenticeships continue to help increase productivity and competitiveness, whilst equipping companies with a skilled, motivated workforce. Over 13,000 employers in Yorkshire and Humber were known to have had apprentices during 2009/10. One company reaping the benefits of Apprenticeships is IT reseller Insight UK. Based in Sheffield, its become one of the first businesses nationally to receive their Apprenticeship Employer Certificate. The certificate has been launched to recognise businesses for their commitment to Apprenticeships – and ensures their customers do too. Research carried out by the National Apprenticeship Service has shown over 80% of people are more likely to use a business if it offers Apprenticeships. So now, to help customers, the certificate can be displayed to highlight that the business employs apprentices. Insight UK currently has seven apprentices and Gill Swain, HR Manager is delighted that they are now able to clearly demonstrate their commitment to Apprenticeships and the benefits they have brought to the business. Employers of all sizes support young people by offering Apprenticeships. In return, their apprentices have proved to be a great investment, helping increase efficiency and productivity, and providing the skills needed for the future. Now Yorkshire and the Humber employers can let their customers know they employ apprentices; not just a great investment for the future of the business but also providing valuable support to young people across the local community. All employers who have apprentices are entitled to a certificate and can request their copy directly from the employers section of the Apprenticeships website www.apprenticeships.org.uk . In addition, employers can add their logo to the Apprenticeship Employers Roll of Honour on the website and download an Employer Badge to put on the company’s website and stationery. For those businesses which are considering providing an Apprenticeship for the first time in 2011 – don’t forget to put National Apprenticeship Week 2011 in the diary. The awareness week hosted by the NAS takes place from Monday 7th February – Friday 11th February 2011 and will see apprentices, employers and training providers showcase the many business benefits offered by Apprenticeships. We look forward to all activity in 2011! To find out more about Apprenticeships and the support available to employers, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600. More articles in
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