Apprenticeship grants for employers

Feb 2010

A new grant for employers in England has been announced to make it easier to take on young apprentices.

Over the next ten weeks the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) will provide up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds (AGE 16 and 17).

The grant of £2,500 is to enable employers to offer new Apprenticeship places and take on an unemployed 16 or 17 year old apprentice immediately. It is in addition to the costs of training which are already met by the National Apprenticeship Service.

Last year, despite tough labour market conditions, more than 70,000 young people aged 16 and 17 started an Apprenticeship. However, there are still many more young people who want to learn while they are in work and the AGE 16 and 17 grant will help make sure the opportunities are there for them to do so.

Asset Skills is urging small and medium sized employers who may be interested in taking on an apprentice for the first time to apply for the grant. Or they may want to employ an additional apprentice over their traditional level of recruitment.

Support could also be available for larger employers if they can demonstrate that they are overtraining to support smaller businesses in their supply chain or wider sector.

All training providers are also able to offer this incentive to employers. They are encouraged to identify employers they have worked with – or previously contacted – who might benefit from this additional support.

Vacancies can be advertised online through the National Apprenticeship Service that matches interested candidates with employers offering Apprenticeships.

Remember, this is a short-term, time-limited measure and is available immediately for employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to a young person. The AGE 16 and 17 grant is only available until the end of March.

To apply for AGE 16 and 17 call the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600 or visit the NAS website.

In other Apprenticeships news, as part of National Apprenticeship Week (1 Feb-5 Feb), a series of breakfast meetings are taking place for employers in the South East to raise awareness of the business benefits of taking on apprentices.

Delegates can find out more about Apprenticeships and what they involve, plus how to benefit from funding available to cover training costs.

If you are interested in attending one of these events, please contact Andrew Cook at Asset Skills by email at acook@assetskills.org or phone on 0845 678 2 888 or 01392 423 399.