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Working with employers to meet their needs

STUDENTS might be the lifeblood of Northampton College but there’s also a strong focus on the role of employers in ensuring the college delivers a fully trained and employable workforce to suit local demand.

Driving this approach is new Assistant Principal, Employer Engagement and Enterprise James Whybrow, who joined the college late last year to form a key link in the collaborative thinking that is so crucial to the long-term local economy.

His role includes providing employers considering taking on an apprentice the information they need to decide whether it is the right m

STUDENTS might be the lifeblood of Northampton College but there’s also a strong focus on the role of employers in ensuring the college delivers a fully trained and employable workforce to suit local demand.

Driving this approach is new Assistant Principal, Employer Engagement and Enterprise James Whybrow, who joined the college late last year to form a key link in the collaborative thinking that is so crucial to the long-term local economy.

His role includes providing employers considering taking on an apprentice the information they need to decide whether it is the right move, and then put in place the training and support that sees the arrangement through to the end.

This is based on the sound footing of a 90 per cent satisfaction rating in a recent survey of employers and how they viewed the apprenticeship service provided by Northampton College.

“Apprentices can be so important to small or micro businesses who don’t have the luxury of in-house training schemes, but entering into the world of apprentices can be daunting,” said James. “We can help employers identify needs, source funding and come up with a bespoke, flexible apprenticeship that suits their needs and gives them what they want in the long run.

“When we know what they need, we treat finding the right apprentice just like any other recruitment process, advertising the post and putting potential candidates in front of the employer. Once they are in place, we support them throughout the term of the apprenticeship so that we get the best outcome for everyone.”

Depending on the apprenticeship, the training follows a framework of training that will include those units that are mandatory, combined with others from a wide and varied list that meet as closely as possible the training the employer wants the apprentice to undergo.

“The world is changing the needs of employers is changing, so we have to make sure that we are listening to them and building our courses around what is going to serve the local market,” said James. “We are not selling anything, of course we want people to come here for their training, but more importantly, we are here to provide a service.”

For further information contact Northampton College on 01604 734567 or visit the website www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk

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