Nearly 800 people started an Apprenticeship in Swindon last year, nearly 200 of them 16–18 year olds. 75 per cent of apprentices in the county completed their Apprenticeship successfully – one of the highest rates in the country.
According to figures just released by the National Apprenticeship Service, 70.7 per cent in Swindon achieved their Apprenticeship qualifications (the equivalent of 5 GCSE passes) and 79.5 per cent achieved their Advanced Apprenticeship (the equivalent of 2 A Level passes).
Nearly 200 of those starting their Apprenticeships were 16-18 year olds, more than 350 were 19-24 year olds and more than 200 were 25 years and over.
Swindon-based ESP Colour has taken on at least two or three apprentices every year of the 11 that Human Resources Manager Cathy Osborne has worked for the company. She said that Apprenticeships were so important to the business that there were no plans to change that.
“Apprenticeships bring real benefits,” she said. “They attract younger people to the industry and give them both practical experience as well as the opportunity to work towards a nationally recognised qualification.
“The programme has proved very successful for us and we have trained a number of excellent staff over the years. ESP apprentices tend to remain with the company which is a great outcome for all involved.”
In the South West, statistics reveal that the most popular subject areas for Apprenticeships are currently retail and commercial enterprise, business, administration and law and engineering and manufacturing.
John Chudley, Regional Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “The sector areas covered by Apprenticeships are growing all the time and we are constantly adapting to suit the needs of employers.
“The figures just published are proof that increasingly employers are seeing Apprenticeships as the answer to their recruiting problems and that the vast majority of apprentices are motivated individuals who want to do well.
“More and more businesses and organisations in Swindon are realising that Apprenticeships are key to a highly skilled and focused future workforce. Providing training on the job, particularly when that training is usually fully funded, just makes good commercial sense.”
Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the apprentices’ ability and the industry sector. In most cases funding is available to help with training costs – 100 per cent if the apprentice is aged 16 to 18.
The National Apprenticeship Service runs an online vacancy matching service which allows individuals to search and apply for live vacancies and allows employers to advertise their vacancies to a wide audience.
For more information, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
