Council launches new apprenticeship agency for Plymouth

Plymouth City Council and City College Plymouth have launched a new venture, the Plymouth Apprenticeship Company – an apprenticeship training agency that will enable smaller businesses to benefit from taking on an apprentice without employing them.

As part of the Council’s Plan for Jobs, Council Leader Tudor Evans, had announced the city’s aim to set up a multi-sector apprenticeship training agency with the college, to make it easier for small businesses to create valuable apprenticeship opportunities for the city’s young people.

Apprenticeships are regarded as an excellent way of developing the right skills and experience within an organisation's workforce, according to the Council. It claims that apprenticeships are also an accepted alternative to other more traditional forms of education for young people.

Yet smaller businesses often find the financial investment of taking on an apprentice too much, or believe that they cannot provide a varied or rich enough experience for a full-time apprentice position.

"The advantage of an apprenticeship with the Plymouth Apprenticeship Company is that the apprentice will be employed by the company and placed with an appropriate employer," a Council spokesperson said.

"Potentially, an apprentice could have a couple of employers to ensure they are able to complete a full apprenticeship framework (technical qualifications and key skills) through their placements, either concurrently or one after the other."

The Plymouth Apprenticeship Company will be recruiting potential apprentices, matching them to appropriate host employers, paying the apprentices’ wages, taxes and NI contributions, arranging the relevant training with a local approved training agency and supporting the apprentice and employers through the apprenticeship. The aim is to place over 70 apprentices over the next 18 months.

Council leader Tudor Evans, said: “We have put creating more jobs at the top of our to-do list as this is simply the biggest issue facing the city and particularly for our many young people, who are leaving school in an extremely testing economic environment.

“We created the Plan for Jobs and one of the key projects was to set up an apprentice training agency with City College Plymouth. This is Plymouth’s first multi-sector apprenticeship training agency and is designed to help smaller businesses to take on staff.

“By taking on the paper-work and the time-consuming side of hiring staff, the Plymouth Apprenticeship Company will be acting as an agent and the employer, allowing the small business to do what they are good at and pass on their knowledge to the next generation - while enriching their business with new enthusiasm and talent.”

Principal of City College Plymouth, Phil Davies, said: “This is a significant innovation for the City. We all know that there are a large number of smaller businesses in the region, and that there is an expectation that the private sector will create the jobs that this country needs for socio-economic regeneration. The Plymouth Apprenticeship Company is offering apprenticeships with a difference, specifically for the smaller companies. Helping them to grow and succeed.

“As a Gazelle College Principal, I have publically stated my commitment to developing enterprise and entrepreneurship. The Plymouth Apprenticeship Company is about the College responding to the needs of its local employers in an enterprising way, and enabling local small businesses to really pursue their entrepreneurial vision while sharing this with the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“The Plymouth Apprenticeship Company will help create sustainable employment opportunities while contributing to the wealth creating potential of the city’s economy.”