13 June 2013

Now is the time to take on an apprentice

The PrintIT Awards, held at North Print in Harrogate this month, were the culmination of a year’s work involving schools engaging their ex-pupils in the fast moving and exiting world of print and media.

The BPIF were very happy to support the programme, from hosting the judging through to the final filming of the winners as they collected their awards from the programme sponsors in a glittering ceremony at the famous Spa Town.

It was a really positive day set against the somewhat more daunting backdrop of nearly one million young people in the UK unable to find work. The programme is only the first step of the journey. The next stage is to create the employment opportunities to enable young people to enter the industry.

For this reason, we are delighted that following our bid for the BPIF Advanced Management Apprenticeship, we have been advised that we will be included in the new department of education and department for business innovation and skills pilot to introduce a new form of traineeship, which will be implemented in August 2013.

We are still awaiting the final details of the scheme, but it will create workplace opportunities where trainees will be able to continue to receive social benefits for up to six months while they gain their first experience of work. The traineeship will compliment our current apprenticeship programmes and will provide additional employability training, alongside an employer-based placement with no cost to the employer.

We now have young people placed in member companies following apprenticeships in a wide range of disciplines, from social media through customer service and administration, to our well established technical printing and finishing qualifications.

Over 130,000 workplaces in the UK now offer apprenticeships and they are increasingly seen as a route to the delivery of customised training that suits both trainee and the company. The process for taking on an apprentice is really straightforward and our training team in Meriden are able to advise you of the most appropriate apprenticeships, how they work, and the next steps to get you started.

Our training co-ordinators will meet with you in your own company to help you recruit and plan the training, and will continue to support the company and the learner throughout the programme. For 16-18 year olds there are no costs to the employer other than the relatively low salary, and even these costs maybe supported by local grants.

Our aim is to make the process as simple as possible. We will complete the apprenticeship documentation for you, agree the planning and delivery of training and assessment to create the best outcome for both the employing company and the learner.

Now is the best time to start to recruit young people as they finish schooling in June and July and are now starting to look for their first placement. For more information, please contact Scott Campbell or Jack Steel, who will be pleased to give you a detailed explanation of all stages of the programme.