News: Event offers chance to inspire next generation of apprentices

Rotherham-based businesses are being invited to help inspire this year's school leavers and give them an opportunity to build their future career.

"Apprenticeships: Be Inspired" is a unique event which gives businesses who are thinking of recruiting apprentices over the summer months in 2016 a chance to meet school Y11s, Y12s and Y13s from across the Sheffield city region.

Organised by Skills Made Easy, a unique programme funded by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the popular event saw more than 500 school leavers attend last year's event, with more than 200 apprenticeship vacancies on offer from local and national employers. This year, the event is being extended to all areas of the city region and with a number of schools from Rotherham supporting the event, local businesses are being invited to attend completely free of charge.

The event is taking place on the afternoon of March 2 at Ponds Forge and businesses thinking of recruiting an apprentice in 2016 can apply for a free exhibition stand at the event.

Over the past three years, Skills Made Easy has helped more than 1,300 young people into an apprenticeship, whilst helping employers to overcome skills shortages.

Skills Made Easy was formed as part of the City Deal that helps small and medium sized companies across the Sheffield city region to get the high quality training of the type they need, in the place they need it and at the time they need it. As well as support for recruiting apprentices, the scheme helps firms to access to a wide range of training programmes, usually delivered at no cost to the employer.

Laura Hayfield, programme manager at Skills Made Easy, said: "Apprenticeships: Be Inspired is a unique event. Young people do not get many opportunities to meet directly with employers who are specifically looking to recruit at the time they are leaving school, and this is a brilliant chance to find out more about their options and make vital connections.

"We are looking for employers who are thinking of expanding their workforce over the next twelve months to take part in the event. There's no cost to the business and no hidden catches: It's a chance for them to meet motivated and enthusiastic young people who are seriously considering the apprenticeship route."

Skills Made Easy website

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News: GAP grants for apprenticeships

Added financial incentives are available for targeted businesses in Rotherham taking on new apprentices.

In December, the Sheffield City Region (SCR) asked to take control of its share of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), the £1,500 available to employers taking on apprentices, so that it can decide to vary the level of financial support available to different types of learner, sizes of business and subject.

After discussions with the Government, the region was offered £2.41m for 2015-16 which means that grants of up to £2,450 are available to any South Yorkshire employer with fewer than 100 staff that meets certain criteria.

As part of the city region's devolution deal, Sheffield City Council, working on the behalf of the City Region Combined Authority, has been asked to administer the funding across South Yorkshire and priority is expected to be given to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related apprenticeships, underdeveloped areas where there is potential apprenticeship growth and disadvantaged learners undertaking an apprenticeship.

The preferred mechanism to administer these funds being through the established Skills Made Easy programme. Aimed at SME's, the skills based programme provides practical and impartial advice when it comes to recruiting apprentices as well as helping to overcome skills shortages by offering access to a wide range of training programmes, usually delivered at no cost to the employer.

Known as GAP, the grants are available to employers offering any apprenticeship where the apprentice's workplace is in South Yorkshire, the employer has no more than 100 employees, the employer has not employed more than two apprentices in the last 12 months and the newly employed apprentice is aged from 16 to 24 years old.

Up to four GAP grants are available over a 12 month period to any employer meeting the eligibility criteria. The scheme also includes additional incentive payments of £450 where an apprentice recruited to a lower level, progresses to a higher level apprenticeship i.e. Level 4, or Level 5.

Skills Made Easy is working closely with the Skills Funding Agency to make sure that the process for claiming grants is consistent with the national AGE process whilst also responding to local priorities and needs.

GAP grants are payable directly to employers, but the application process needs to be initiated by a training provider that offers apprenticeships to employers in South Yorkshire.

Also part of the devolution deal, the city region is working with the Skills Funding Agency on the spend of the Adult Skills Budget (ASB) across the region. The pot is the main funding received by colleges and training providers for delivery of apprenticeships and up-skilling.

Skills Made Easy website
Growth Through Training website

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News: SCR devolution deal in detail - Skills and Employment

The Local Enterprise Partnership's (LEP's) vision for a demand-led, employer-focused skills system can be created thanks to the "devolution deal" agreed with the Government.

Whilst not coming up with any new money, the devolution deal builds on the the city deal signed in 2012 and growth deal secured earlier this year. The city deal included £23.8m over three years for the "Skills Made Easy" programme, and the growth deal included £21.7m over six years to support a £100m "Skills Bank" beginning in 2015/2016. The LEP committed over £30m and with local businesses investing over £50m, the Skills Bank could provide 42,000 qualifications over six years.

The LEP and combined authority are joining with the the Government's Skills Funding Agency to become responsible for re-commissioning provision for the adult skills budget. This includes flexible and responsive provision to learners and employers in the workplace and through classroom learning but not apprenticeships and traineeships. The partnership will start work in January 2015 and run throughout the 2015 Spending Review so that it can start to deliver a revised offer from 2017.

The region's Skills Bank, which gives employers greater purchasing power and control in how government funded training is accessed, is set to be enhanced, integrating it with existing national resources to drive up apprenticeships in the local area. Building on the Skills Made Easy programme and Skills Bank, the city region will have responsibilities over apprenticeship brokerage activities targeted at SMEs.

The SCR is also asking to take control of its share of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), the £1,500 available to employers taking on apprentices, so that it can decide to vary the level of financial support available to different types of learner, sizes of business and subject.

The Department for Work and Pensions will also consult with Sheffield city region about the possibility of joint commissioning for the next phase of the Work Programme beginning in 2017. The programme provides support, work experience and training for up to two years to help people find and stay in work. The move is all about giving the Sheffield City Region more tools to help people into employment and a pilot project could also begin next year focusing on improving the outcomes for claimants of Employment and Support Allowance (incapacity benefit).

Images: Sheffield City Region LEP

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News: Be inspired at apprenticeships event

Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council are joining forces to host the "Apprenticeships – Be Inspired" event as part of National Apprenticeship Week in March. Taking place at Ponds Forge in Sheffield on the March 4 from 2pm to 7pm, it will offer businesses the chance to recruit apprentices on the day.

The event will be attended by school students across Sheffield and Rotherham who are seeking apprenticeships for this summer. Students will bring their CVs to the event to meet prospective employers and find out about the range of apprenticeships on offer.

The event is being run as part of the Skills Made Easy programme which operates across the Sheffield city region and is focused on helping employers find the training solutions they need for their business, whilst improving career opportunities for young people. Skills Made Easy is the part of the City Deal that helps small and medium sized companies across the Sheffield city region to get the high quality training of the type they need, in the place they need it and at the time they need it.

The programme aims to to create 4,000 new apprenticeships and courses to up-skill more than 2,000 adults. Other parts of the skills plan include a skills for growth partnership – accountable to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – where businesses will decide where cash can be best spent on training to boost the local economy. An apprenticeship and skills hub is also planned where trained account managers will specifically work with employers and colleges.

Councillor Leigh Bramall, Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Development at Sheffield Council, said: "We know that businesses face a skills shortage. Skills Made Easy overcomes the barriers businesses have long complained of about the apprenticeship system, ensuring each business gets the bespoke skills it needs. With these barriers removed apprenticeships are a great way to develop and grow a business and give our young people new opportunities.

"Apprenticeships offer the chance to recruit loyal members of staff and train them to meet the requirements of the job roles within your organisation.

"It is key we make it easy for businesses to grow and this event will provide a fantastic opportunity for businesses to recruit apprentices."

For more information about the event or to book your business a place please call Kerry Moon on 0114 2296163.

Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership website

Images: SCR LEP

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