APPRENTICESHIPS are bucking the trend in Northamptonshire – with Northampton College placing more and more young people into jobs and local employers increasingly seeking and advertising for apprentices.
Across the UK, employer advertisements for apprentices are down by 40 per cent, but in Northamptonshire that isn’t the case. It is up by 15 per cent.
The Northampton College team is working with local employers to continue this upward trend. In 2015-16 the college advertised 407 apprenticeships – placements with local employers – and this increased by more than a quarter (26 per cent) in 2016-17 when the college offered 512 apprenticeship opportunities.
Ruth Exelby, Assistant Principal – Employer Engagement, said: “We are bucking the national trend and working closely with local businesses to identify apprenticeship opportunities, match students and encourage businesses to advertise apprenticeships themselves.
“In December Northampton College won a share of the government’s £650 million non-levy tender funding, money specifically earmarked to fund apprenticeships with small employers. This is hugely exciting given our county is made up of 98 per cent of small to medium sized businesses. Many colleges didn’t secure any of this non-levy pot but we are working to be commercially savvy and this has really paid off.”
The 11th National Apprenticeship Week (#NAW2018) will take place from March 5 to 9, giving employers and apprentices from across the country the opportunity to come together to celebrate the success of apprenticeships whilst encouraging even more people to choose apprenticeships as a pathway to a great career.
Among the most popular apprenticeships at Northampton College are business administration, electrical installations and maintenance and engineering.
From September 2018 the college will also offer a host of construction apprenticeships and are seeking any businesses that would be interested in work placed learning.
For more information about courses and apprenticeships available through Northampton College visit www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk/apprentices