LARGE West Yorkshire employers – including Bradford-based Morrisons – have pledged a total of £9 million to fund hundreds of apprenticeships in smaller firms.

A new £3 million package for apprenticeships has been announced by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin on Small Business Saturday.

The new funding is part of a regional scheme that links large employers with smaller businesses to fund vital new apprenticeship opportunities.

So far, £6 million from large employers has been delivered by Mayor Brabin to create 1,000 apprenticeships in small and medium enterprises.

By working with large employers like Morrisons, the Mayor has helped to ensure that funding which would otherwise go to the Treasury has instead been used to support local SMEs.

The Mayor praised the large employers that are part of her apprenticeships scheme for helping to “keep the West Yorkshire pound in West Yorkshire” by using the percentage of their annual pay bill that must be spent on apprenticeships – known as “the apprenticeship levy” – to support local SMEs.

Other large employers to “transfer” some of their apprenticeship funding to other businesses and public sector organisations include Asda, which has funded new apprentice PCSOs and call handlers in West Yorkshire Police; Howdens, which has boosted the number of construction workers building vital new infrastructure for the region; and Card Factory, which has provided funding to upskill more people into essential healthcare roles, bolstering the frontline of the NHS.

Clare Grainger, group people and corporate services director at Morrisons, said: “In partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Morrisons has shared £1 million of apprenticeship funding to help other local businesses and public sector organisations develop their workforces.

“This is an important part of our commitment to the region and will help to ensure critical sectors have the skilled professionals they need.”

One of the SMEs supported by Morrisons’ apprenticeships funding is A2Z Learning Centre in Bradford, which provides childcare for children aged 5 to 15 as well as wrap-around support for families, including classes for parents, activities for children, and food vouchers for struggling households.

Shaziya Younas, director at A2Z Learning Centre Ltd, said: “As a director at A2Z Learning Centre, we are thankful to Morrisons for funding and supporting the Apprenticeship Training Programme.

“This has given us the opportunity to grow as an organisation as well as provide opportunities for existing and new staff, so they can engage in learning programmes to enhance our services and improve the value achieved from having well-trained staff.”

Apprenticeships give people the chance to earn money whilst gaining the qualifications and experience they need to pursue their passions and progress into secure, well-paid employment.

More than half of the places funded through the West Yorkshire Mayor’s apprenticeships scheme so far are in the health and care sector.