Bradford, as the UK’s youngest city, has a huge workforce with the potential to drive the district’s economy forward – but it is absolutely vital that the young people coming out of education have the skills to match up with the needs of businesses.
That’s why apprenticeships are becoming ever more important across the district, with a number of providers using the recent National Apprenticeship Week as a way of encouraging more young people to take this route into employment – and more employers to take on apprentices.
Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership recently launched a new Employment Hub to specifically address concerns relating to matching young people’s skills with business needs.
The free programme will engage more than 6,000 young people over three years, with support to get them into further learning, self-employment, employment or an apprenticeship.
Roger Marsh OBE, chairman of the L Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said: “This programme will further improve career prospects for so many young people in the City Region and the businesses that support them will see the significant benefits of investing in new talent which, in turn, boosts economic growth.
“Our City Region has a working age population of 1.9 million people, making it the North’s largest and fastest-growing region. We also have the youngest population in the country and Bradford alone has more under-15s than anywhere else – a huge future talented workforce.”
Roger Marsh OBE
Chairman of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership
In Bradford, a number of providers recently used National Enterprise Week to highlight the impor tance of apprenticeships – and the many routes that are available.
Bradford College asked businesses to pledge to take on at least one apprentice when they attended its Employer Pledge event, which was organised by the college’s apprenticeship training provider, City Training Services.
Those attending also heard guest speaker Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, enthusing about the importance of apprenticeships to improving Bradford’s future and described them as a “win, win” for both the apprentice and the employer.
She said: “In Bradford, not enough of our young people have the skills and the opportunities that they need to access good-quality and secure jobs and these issues are becoming ever more urgent as we face the impact of new technologies in the world of work.
“Creating a skilled workforce to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow must be an urgent priority for all those who care about Bradford and want us to succeed.
“For too long in this country, the only route to success was assumed to be a strictly academic one and GCSEs, A Levels and going to university.”
Judth Cummins
MP Bradford South
“What a waste of talent and potential that was. Thankfully, this is no longer the case and the argument for highquality vocational education with parity of esteem with the academic system that argument has largely been won.
“I pay tribute to all of those who support our apprentices. To those that haven’t already done so, I would say just look at the benefits apprenticeships bring to both the individual and the businesses who take them on. It really is a win, win situation.”
Dawn Leak, chief executive officer of City Training Services and director of Employer Responsiveness at Bradford College said: “We already work with enterprising employers who are providing apprenticeships and work placement opportunities for young people and adults. But we want to encourage even more to get involved.
“By working collaboratively we can invest in local people and nurture talent for the benefit of businesses, the individuals and the economic growth of the Leeds City Region.
Dawn Leak
Chief Executive, City Training Services
“This pledge is an opportunity for local businesses to strengthen their workforce and help local young people prepare for and enter the world of work.”
As specialists in education and careers guidance and information, aspire-igen are also keen advocates of National Apprenticeship Week.
It held a number of events , with learners on the aspire2work study programme given the opportunity to engage with employers and visit premises to see how some of the skills and knowledge they have learnt in the classroom are put into practice The aspire2work study programme offers a range of vocational courses, tailored learning plans, work experience and wrap around support to provide learners with a destination to further their learning and career opportunities.
Anchor Care Homes opened its doors to allow health and social care learners visit an care home for the elderly and a visit to their contact centre IT and customer service divisions for those on the IT and customer services courses. JCT600 welcomed motor vehicle maintenance learners for a tour of their showroom and workshops, plus an employer talk to give an overview of what qualifications and experience are required for different roles in the organisation.
Aspire-igen also opened its own doors for a beauty event planned by learners on the beauty course, where staff and members of the public could book an appointment for a treatment.
Activities like this not only help learners with confidence building, but also better prepare them for their future careers in the industry, a spokesperson said.
Caroline Harrison, chief executive of the Aspire-igen Group, said: “Apprenticeships provide a valuable pathway to a skilled job or career that is a realistic alternative to the traditional higher or further education route.
“There is a high level of demand for those with level 3 qualifications in the district, who can then be trained for specific roles by local employers. Many employers also offer Higher Level Apprenticeships, which lead to a degree funded by the company. This flexible way of learning also offers opportunity to young people who either do not wish to take on a loan for tuition fees, or simply feel unable to afford the cost of higher education, as well as those whose learning has not been purely linear.
Caroline Harrison
Chief Executive, Aspire-Igen Group
“Level 2 Apprenticeships are a popular choice for many young people who leave school following their GCSEs, and also for those who have undertaken vocational study programmes.
They fill a vital role in the local and national economy, which relies on a steady stream of young people to satisfy replacement demand and skills gaps however that arises”
She said activities like the ones which took place during National Apprenticeship Week help to raise aspirations of young people and ensure they have a broad understanding of the pathways that are available to them when they enter the worldof work Jennifer Sullivan, centre coordinator for Qube Learning, which recently celebrated its first anniversary in Bradford, said they offered traineeships which helped young people to transition between school into the world of work.
“Our team find the learner an employer who is looking for an apprentice and the learner completes a traineeship first,” she said.
The traineeship is a seven to 12-week work experience programme during which the learner gets one to one support, with the aim of them being ready for a more demanding apprenticeship at the end it.
“Going straight from school into the world of work can be a daunting experience and the traineeship eases young people through the transition,” she said.
Qube held a bake sale to raise money for Dementia UK during Dementia Awareness week, and they also celebrated the Kickstart Centre’s first birthday during National Apprenticeship Week, too, with learners past and present attending.
Jennifer said: “NAW is a great way to raise awareness of apprenticeships which, despite their popularity, are still less understood than classic Further and Higher Education routes like A-Levels.
“Apprenticeships are great for the economy because young people are earning while achieving a qualification and providing a service for their local community.”
The Kickstart Centre has been more successful than anticipated, helping upwards of 250 young people into work in the first year.
