Tuesday 4th January 2011

There's good news today for both businesses and the unemployed in Chesterfield with news that £2.5m of new funding and grants is now available for Apprenticeships across the East Midlands region.

Chesterfield College has announced that it's been selected as a managing partner by the National Apprenticeship Service, Skills Funding Agency and European Social Fund and will work with training providers across the East Midlands in delivering the funding to jointly support businesses and ensure the training of a new generation for economic recovery. The initiative follows the launch of the College's innovative Apprenticeship Academy at the beginning of December.

The funds will be delivered in two ways - firstly in the form of Age Grants for employers, available immediately until the end of March 2011 to businesses with less than 50 employees that take on a 16-18 year old apprentice who is not employed or in education. There are 450 grants of £2000 are available, with £750 upon initial sign up and the rest delivered when the apprentice has been with the company for 13 weeks.

Secondly, until the end of June 2011, businesses of 250 employees or less can take the opportunity to access funded training, which is delivered in the workplace and has been proven to increase motivation and productivity amongst workforces.

The funding will support adults across the whole of the East Midlands to achieve a Level 2 qualification through an adult Apprenticeship. This is available to businesses operating in a wide range of subjects including: Contact Centre, Sales and Telesales, Carry and Deliver Goods, ICT Professional and Train Operations.

Anyone wishing to take on an apprentice will be supported by providers such as Chesterfield College and will be helped in recruiting the right person for them. Apprenticeships are widely recognized as the gold standard for work-based training and an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience. As an employee, you earn as you learn whilst gaining practical skills from the workplace. There are already more than 130,000 employers nationwide who offer Apprenticeships.

Anyone interested in the new funding initiative should contact
Catherine Spavold - spavoldc@chesterfield.ac.uk
or Claire Munden - mundenc@chesterfield.ac.uk

For more information about the Age Grants for employers please contact
age16-18@chesterfield.ac.uk or call 01246 500500 ext 4291

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