Money now available for any York business looking to hire apprentices

Starting on May 17th, SMEs and charitable organisations across the city of York will be able to access additional public funds to aid in the hiring of new apprentices or to develop existing employees.

The funding is being made available by City of York Council from unallocated funds from its Apprenticeship Levy*, and comes as part of the council’s continuing efforts to support the creation of apprenticeship opportunities for people of all ages.

The total amount available to local businesses each year could be around £100,000, with individual businesses being able to request a portion to offset the training and assessment costs for new apprenticeship starts. This funding is in addition to the Government’s financial incentives, of up to £4,000** for employers who hire a new apprentice.

York businesses and charitable organisations are being encouraged to come forward if they would like support to provide apprenticeship opportunities for new or existing employees.

Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for the Economy and Strategic Planning, City of York Council said:

“This apprenticeship funding will help small businesses and charities looking to help train their next generation of employees, and underlines the council’s commitment to skills and employment opportunities across the city.

“Apprenticeships provide opportunities for people across our city, from school leavers taking their first steps into the world of work, to those of any age looking for a change of career.”

Businesses and charities looking to take part in the scheme can find out more by visiting the York Apprenticeship Hub at york.gov.uk/HiringAnApprentice.

*All organisations with an annual wage bill of more than £3m legally have to set aside 0.5% of their payroll for apprenticeship training, creating a fund called the Apprenticeship Levy.

Under the government scheme, 20% of any levy not allocated by the authority can be offered to other local SMEs and charitable organisations, under the government scheme. This approach has been approved by City of York Council.

**National apprenticeships grants are currently £3,000 for hiring an apprentice of any age until 30 September 2021, plus the existing £1,000 if the apprentice is aged 16-18 or up to 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan

Year 11 York students offered apprenticeship taster

City of York Council’s Apprenticeship Hub is inviting Year 11 students to apply for a place on the second city-wide Apprenticeship Taster Day, following the successful launch earlier this year.

Taking place on Thursday 16 January 2020, 14 local employers are offering apprenticeship tasters to over 100 year 11 students from York secondary schools.

The taster day gives students the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be an apprentice in a variety of sectors, including finance, data science, hospitality, early years, rail engineering, marketing and construction.

The employers hosting students on the day will include; Network Rail, Aviva, City of York Council, Garbutt & Elliott, Portakabin, Toni & Guy and a variety of early years settings.

The application form is available from york.gov.uk/yorkapprenticeships and must be submitted by Friday 13 December.

For more information contact the York Apprenticeship Hub, email: york.apprenticeships@york.gov.uk or 01904 553732 or visit the York Apprenticeships webpage: www.york.gov.uk/yorkapprenticeships.

Nominations open for the 2018 York apprenticeship graduation and award ceremony

City of York Council is inviting nominations for the eighth York Apprenticeship and Graduation award ceremony. The ceremony highlights outstanding apprentices and employers of apprentices in the city.

Submissions for the high profile city-wide event must be submitted by Friday 19 October. The winners will be announced at the ceremony held at the Grand Opera House on 27 November.

Led by City of York Council in partnership with The Guilds of York and training providers, the annual York Apprenticeship Graduation and Awards Ceremony has been a growing success.

Over the last year over 1400 York employees have benefited from apprenticeship training as businesses have created jobs and taken on new apprentice recruits or supported the professional development of their existing staff.

There are five categories for the awards:

  • Apprentice of the Year aged 16-24 (Smaller Employer)
  • Apprentice of the Year aged 16-24 (Larger Employer)
  • Apprentice of the Year aged 25 or over
  • Smaller Employer of the Year (<100 employees)
  • Larger Employer of the Year (>100 employees)

Last year’s apprentice winners were Sam Sugden (Electrical Engineering with Anderson Green Ltd), Joe Boothman (Business Administration in Public Health at City of York Council) and Lee Russell (Agricultural Business Management at RG Brader). Employer winners were Fera Science Ltd and The Smile Rooms. (more…)

York Apprenticeship Graduation and Awards Ceremony: a celebration of business talent in the city

Over 100 apprentices from across York will be graduating at the seventh York Apprenticeship Graduation and Awards Ceremony next week (8 November).

The event will celebrate the achievements of young people and adults who have successfully completed their apprenticeship qualification and training. They will all receive a certificate presented by The York Guilds.

A total of 35 young people, adults and employers are also in the running for the 2017 York Apprenticeship Awards, which will be presented on the same night at the Grand Opera House.

Co-ordinated by City of York Council’s Skills Team, the awards were first introduced three years ago to recognise the individual and business benefits and excellence in the city’s apprenticeship landscape.

A panel of independent judges have whittled down the shortlist for five categories:

  • Apprentice of the Year Under 25 (smaller business).
  • Apprentice of the Year Under 25 (Larger Employer).
  • Apprentice of the Year Over 25.
  • Smaller Employer of the Year and Larger Employer of the Year.Julia Massey, City of York Council Skills Team, said: “The nominations show the richness and diversity of apprenticeship talent in York. They highlight how apprenticeship training is supporting the career development of both new recruits and existing staff as well as the growth of York businesses, both large and small.”

    Finalists for Employer of the Year are Acorn Finance, Fera Science Ltd, Garbutt & Elliott LLP, Gear 4 Music, Prospect Health and The Smiles Room (Dentist Practice).

    Finalists for the Over 25s category include staff working in agriculture business management and the health and care sector.

    Finalists in the Under 25s category include new recruits working in accountancy, electrical engineering, chef-ing, digital marketing, science laboratories, front of house, business admin, stone masonry, IT software and dental nursing.

Apprenticeship and training event in York on Thursday

City of York Council will be hosting the York Apprenticeship & Training event at West Offices on Thursday 31 August, 4-7pm.

This event will show young people what their options are for their next steps following the recent publication of A-Level and GCSE exam results.

Hundreds of apprenticeship vacancies throughout York will be on offer along with training and employment opportunities in business, finance, marketing, hospitality, engineering, construction, childcare and many other areas.

Employers confirmed include Nestlé, NFU Mutual, City of York Council, Network Rail, Gear 4 Music, Persimmon Homes and the Royal Air Force. There will also be a special spotlight on careers in the hospitality sector, with The Principal Hotel doing mocktail demonstrations, Marriott York making and serving canapés and Betty’s, Park Inn and Hilton Hotel available to talk to.

Councillor Keith Aspden, deputy leader of the council and responsible for economic development and York Skills Plan said, “This ever-popular event offers the chance for young people and their parents to meet recruiting employers, and gain support and advice on apprenticeship vacancies as they look to start their career.

“Young people are increasingly recognising that an apprenticeship has a great deal to offer in helping to build a successful career and can be of great benefit to businesses as well.

“We are happy to support young people and businesses with such events and as a council we are committed to helping businesses to create apprenticeship jobs and take on young talent to support their business grow.

I hope many young people take the opportunity to visit.”

More than 500 young people attended the York Apprenticeship Recruitment event in March.

As well as employers, young people will also be able to talk with apprenticeship training providers, current apprentices, local universities and support services offering 1 to 1 careers information, advice and guidance. Anyone attending is encouraged to bring a copy of their CV to distribute to potential employers.

The event takes place between 4pm and 7pm and is open to people aged between 16 and 24, along with their parents.

For more information on the event, contact the City of York Council-led York Apprenticeship Hub by emailing york.apprenticeships@york.gov.uk, phoning 01904 553732 or searching for the York Apprenticeships page on Facebook.

Call for nominations for Apprentice of the Year in York

Has your apprentice made a real difference to your business? Do you want your business or your apprentice to be recognised by the city?

apprenticeshipsCity of York Council is calling for nominations for a set of awards that recognise and celebrate the best apprentices working in the city. The deadline is 7 October 2016.

There are five award categories:

  • York Apprentice of the Year aged 16-24 (smaller employer)
  • York Apprentice of the Year aged 16-24 (larger employer)
  • York Apprentice of the Year (aged 25+)
  • York Smaller Employer of the Year (less than 50 employees)
  • York Larger Employer of the Year (50+ employees)

Nominations will be assessed by an independent panel, all nominees will be recognised on the evening and the winners will be presented with prizes supported by the Master Guilds and the council.

For an apprentice to be eligible for an award, they must have completed their apprenticeship qualification between 1 November 2015 and 31 October 2016.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Economic Development and Community Engagement, said: “Those young people who choose an Apprenticeship do so because they want to commit to a career, and local businesses and employers welcome their choice. This award scheme is a further way in which we can show how Apprentices in York are valued for the business benefits they bring and for the promise of a well-trained workforce in the future. Please do nominate your business’s best Apprentices and give them the recognition they deserve.”

Deadline for submitting nomination forms is Friday 7 October and the nomination form is here: https://www.york.gov.uk/yorkapprenticeships or for more information, please email: york.apprenticeships@york.gov.uk

York to hold its sixth apprenticeship recruitment event

apprenticeYoung people will be able to find out about hundreds of apprenticeship vacancies with employers across York and the surrounding area, at City of York Council’s sixth York apprenticeship recruitment event later this month.

The recruitment event, which takes place at West Offices between 4pm and 7pm on Wednesday 24 August, the week after A Level results are announced, looks to highlight both the business benefits of hiring apprentices and the individual benefits of pursuing an Apprenticeship job with training.

The event will provide an opportunity for young people aged 16-24 and their parents to meet with recruiting employers as well as find out about alternative routes to Level 3 qualifications and university.

As well as the chance to speak to employers the event will also offer the opportunity for attendees to book one-to-one advice and guidance sessions to help them with their next steps after school or college.
(more…)