Liverpool Chamber of Commerce spearheads community apprenticeship drive
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce is spearheading a new community interest company to help create hundreds of apprenticeships.
Trading as Liverpool Futures, the venture has been created by the chamber, Liverpool council and Liverpool Community College and will be launched next Tuesday as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
Trading Liverpool is an Apprentice Training Association (ATA) which will employ trainees and assume all responsibilities such as paying sick pay, agreeing holiday entitlement and dealing with disciplinary issues.
Participating businesses will pay an agreed wage and look after apprentices’ welfare while on their premises.
But the ATA will assume many of the legal and regulatory requirements around employment that sometimes inhibit smaller firms from taking the plunge and recruiting an apprentice.
Training costs for youngsters aged 16-18 will be met by the Government.
Apprentices aged 19 or over will have a major part of their training costs met. This also applies to existing staff who could benefit from specialised training or a higher level apprenticeship.
While host companies are under no obligation, the partners behind Liverpool Futures hope the scheme will generate long-term jobs for apprentices.
And if a host company’s circumstances change during the training period, the ATA will find the apprentice another business to complete their qualifications.
Chamber chief executive Jack Stopforth said: “We aim to make it easy for businesses, public agencies and charities to offer places to our apprentices while ensuring that the trainees are well looked after.
“Our aim is to work with unemployed people from across the city, but to ensure that host companies interview young people who are, effectively, work-ready.”
He said the apprenticeships available cover a wide range of opportunities and are work-based, not classroom-based.
The scheme will be officially launched next Tuesday, February 7, at The Big Event in the ECHO Arena, which will showcase employers and apprenticeship vacancies.
More than 10,000 young people have already registered to attend the event, which is one of almost 50 taking place across the region during National Apprenticeship Week.
The events are co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), which has an office on Princes Parade on the city’s waterfront.
NAS area director Sue Price said: “We are delighted that so many Merseyside organisations are supporting National Apprenticeship Week by organising events. There are some fantastic activities on offer which I am certain will inspire more companies and individuals to reap the benefits of apprenticeships for themselves.”
Visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
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