Bridgwater College offers a large number of Traineeships and Apprenticeships in a vast range of professional subjects, from Accountancy, to Management and Marketing, suited to business needs.
Traineeships are a no-cost programme for young people, with content tailored to a business’s specific requirements. Traineeships can last from six weeks to a maximum of six months, and prepare both the employer and trainee for progression to an Apprenticeship.
The Apprenticeship scheme could not exist without the commitment and enthusiasm of local employers and, fortunately, the scheme offers numerous benefits for the employer as well as for the individual. Over 220,000 workplaces are offering Apprenticeships, and over 1.6 million apprentices have started training since 2010. An employer can either take on a new apprentice or place an existing employee onto the scheme. This enables the business to fill specific skills gaps, adapt to new opportunities and technologies, and train their workforce in their own way, passing on skills that have been acquired over many years.
Apprenticeship programmes usually last between 12 and 48 months. College tuition fees are fully-funded for apprentices aged 16 – 18 years old, with no charge to the employer. To combat limited funding for those 19+, Bridgwater College is offering 19+ Apprenticeships with an annual fee of just £250 for small and medium enterprises and £500 for large employers. The full fee will be charged at the start of the Apprenticeship.
A new incentive for businesses employing an apprentice will begin from January 2015, focusing on small businesses (those with fewer than 50 employees). Under the new eligibility rules, employers will be able to draw down a maximum of five grants of £1,500.
Apprentices are paid at a rate negotiated with the employer, and the National Minimum Wage for apprentices is currently £2.73 an hour for apprentices under the age of 19, or for those who are aged 19 or over who are in their first year. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age.
Local company Hudson Accountants, based in Nailsea, took on Kevin Dodd, an AAT Level 3 apprentice, who passed his exams and progressed to the next level.
Della Hudson, Partner at Hudson Accountants said,
“We are really pleased with the contribution that Kevin has made to the work of our growing business and the way he gets along with our clients. We look forward to taking on another trainee in the future as the practice expands.”
In addition to Traineeships and Apprenticeships, Bridgwater College can offer bespoke training, for either broad, or specific industries, tailored to the organisation’s requirements.
If you would like more information about employing an apprentice, or training requirements, with Bridgwater College please contact Business Development on 01278 655111.
