The City of York Council’s Apprenticeship team is reminding local businesses that they can get help and support if they are planning to take on apprentices this September.
Apprenticeships continue to play a significant role in supporting the city’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 730 new apprenticeships started in York from June 2021 to January 2022.
A total of 79 of these were in the council and local authority-maintained schools, which is an increase of 49% in the last six months.
The authority has also agreed support for 27 apprentices in nine other organisations across the city, committing £160,000 of support through the Apprenticeship Levy Scheme.
This national initiative enables larger employers to transfer unspent apprenticeship levy onto other businesses or partner organisations, enabling the funding to remain local, benefitting smaller organisations and enhancing the pool of skilled workers in the city.
Cllr Andrew Waller, City of York Council’s executive member for economy and strategic planning, said: “Apprenticeships are a critical strand of the city’s post-pandemic recovery strategy and are a fantastic way for people of all ages to gain new skills or change the direction of their career altogether.
“There’s lots of help and advice available locally for anyone considering hiring an apprentice or taking up an apprenticeship and it’s a great way to upskill existing employees and develop new talent.
“The Apprenticeship Levy also enables the council to provide financial support to help local organisations to hire apprentices, so I’d urge local businesses to get in touch with the team as soon as possible.”
