£12.5 million apprenticeship give-away: Third sector organisations urged to access funding and support

Apprenticeships can improve your organisation’s performance, so don’t miss out on newly-available funding and support to recruit and train your potential managers of the future.

This was the message to representatives from third sector organisations who gathered on 4 February at a free event in central London to:

• Register before the end of March to be one of 5,000 organisations to receive a £2,500 grant from the Government’s National Apprenticeship Service, to pay the wages of a young person aged 16 or 17 years taken on as an apprentice and offered on-the-job training.

• Hear from people already running third sector apprenticeships about how they can be an investment for the future.

• Get practical advice on setting up an apprenticeship, and overcoming barriers to doing so.

The event held on the 4th February, held at the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry during Apprentice-ship Week 2010 (1-5 February) was organised by Fair Train. Fair Train is the new network helping to get funding for apprenticeships in charities, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations by putting them in touch with providers of fair training for their young recruits.

“In the past third sector organisations have often been wary of services provided by training providers, but from today with the launch of Fair Train, the sector has its own members’ association dedicated to its needs,” said Stephen Gardner, director of employer based training with Rathbone, one of the organisations involved in Fair Train.

Fair Train’s free, practical information booklet, Fair training for fair organisations: apprenticeships in the third sector, is available to read online at their website: www.fairtrain.org (See “Notes to editors” for more Fair Train information).

Catch22 is a national charity dedicated to helping young people out of difficult situations and supporting them to make positive changes in their lives. Catch22 (South East Training) has been running apprenticeships for over ten years, and has employed apprentices since 2003.

“One of the benefits of employing apprentices is the boost to staff morale. Existing members of staff can pass on their knowledge and skills and in doing this take great pride in watching the apprentices grow and develop,” said Jessica Nevett, Catch22 sales and marketing manager.

“I think the best thing about doing an apprenticeship is the impact it will have on my future – I feel that I have achieved well in school and college and now I am going to continue to improve my skills and abilities to work successfully in a business,” said Aimee McAvery, who is currently working as an apprentice at Catch22.

“Most third sector organisations to date have not been using the funding and support that is available to them to train new and existing staff,” said Jane Slowey, who chaired today’s event, and who is also chair of Skills – Third Sector and chief executive office of The Foyer Federation. “However, today’s event highlighted the passion that exists in the third sector to build a better workforce. The challenge for us is to show our appetite for apprenticeships and get behind Fair Train.”

Beatbullying provides children, young people and professionals with vital opportunities to make positive and lasting changes to their lives and outlooks, in particular those who have been deeply affected by bullying. Chief executive Emma-Jane Cross spoke at today’s event of the difference that apprenticeships have made to Beatbullying:

“Beatbullying will soon have an apprenticeship working out of every department. We are a charity, so we have to make choices about where we invest but this is very important to us. As a result of their training, our apprentices tend to be highly motivated and eager to learn and develop further. The investment and the responsibility given to them makes them feel valued. They end up highly skilled, therefore they are easier to retain and they can make long term contributions to our staffing. Their importance to our organisation is so significant that we have decided that our aim now is that one in every 15 members of our staff will be an apprentice.”

To encourage further debate, today’s event also saw the opening of a consultation on a framework for third sector apprenticeships. More information about this consultation can be found at: www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk/qualificationsandlearning/apprenticeships
For more media information please contact Debbie Hyde debbie.hyde@oasismedia.co.uk 07956 320 486