News / Apprenticeships
£4m pledged to harness new skills through local apprenticeships
In a recent interview with Bristol24/7, Victoria Matthews of Business West singled out skill shortage as one of the biggest challenges businesses are faced with despite the city being ranked one of the “best places to live and work.”
To address the issue, some big firms have joined forces to accumulate a funding package to help small businesses to welcome and train prospective apprentices.
The insurance giant Aviva has pledged £100,000, which was matched by the fitness and wellbeing provider Nuffield Health, which is also a major employer in the region.
The two companies joined the growing list of regional and national employers who have pledged to invest in apprentices by joining the ‘share to support’ scheme run by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA), and Western Training Provider Network (WTPN).
Ahead of the National Apprenticeship Week, the insurance giant Aviva has pledged £100,000 – photo: Aviva
The scheme sees apprentice-levy paying employers passing on their unused levy funds so that more apprenticeships can be created by small employers.
Aviva, with a large base in Stoke Gifford, and the Nuffield Group, a company with a large business footprint in the area, join the likes of Airbus, GKN, Southern Co-op, and others, supporting smaller firms take on apprentices in the West.
One of the main regional educational centres, City of Bristol College has also been instrumental in facilitating apprenticeships across the board from IT to hospitality
Speaking about the funding pledge, Danny Harmer, chief people officer at Aviva, said: “Apprenticeships create fantastic opportunities for people to develop and evolve their careers, regardless of age or experience.
“So we are gifting some of our Apprenticeship Levy to businesses across the West of England to help their employees develop the skills they need now and to get ready for the future.”
In total, close to £4m has now been pledged to help people across the region to develop new skills through apprenticeships – photo: City of Bristol College
Alison Day, Nuffield Health’s learning and employability partner, said: “Nuffield Health is delighted to be working with WTPN to help support small and medium-sized social-enterprise organisations with their aspirations to support their employees’ careers through qualifications, on-the-job experience and employment opportunities.
“Strategic, values-based partnerships like these are important in helping to deliver our purpose of building a healthier nation by creating opportunities in the community for all.”
On the contribution of local businesses for the initiative, Alex Richards, managing director at WTPN, said: “Every pledge makes a difference to our smaller businesses and our residents, and this pledge will go a long way towards improving career and life opportunities for apprentices.”
In total, close to £4m has now been pledged to help people across the region to develop new skills through apprenticeships. The Share to Support Apprenticeship Levy Share Scheme forms part of Mayoral Priority Skills Fund and is part-funded by UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Regional employers who have pledged to invest in apprentices by joining the “Share to Support” scheme run by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA), and Western Training Provider Network (WTPN) – photo: WECA
Regarding the response of local businesses to harness fresh skills in the region through apprenticeship training, metro mayor Dan Norris, who leads WECA, said: “It’s fantastic over £4m has been raised through Share to Support for apprenticeship training in the West.
“This will help ensure more locals get the skills they need. It’s great we’ve been able to achieve this important milestone in National Apprenticeships Week.”
Main photo: City of Bristol College
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