Employers pledge 20,000 new apprenticeships

Posted on 7 Mar 2014 by The Manufacturer

Employers across the UK have promised to create over 20,000 new apprenticeship placements during the course of national apprenticeship week.

The commitments to support more vocational learning combined with paid employment have accumulated rapidly over the last week as national events, company open days and media attention sought to celebrate and promote the benefit of apprenticeships to individuals, businesses and the economy.

In addition to the pledge to create more apprentice placements, companies from across sectors have also promised to create more opportunities for traineeships – a government framework to give young people ‘taster’ experiences of work, hopefully inspiring them to follow an apprenticeship at a later stage.

Manufacturing and engineering firms are prominent in the list of employers that have committed to create more apprenticeships this week.

The list also has notable contribution from SME firms as well as large companies – 47% of the employers creating new Apprenticeships are small and medium sized enterprises.

Smaller manufacturing organisations announcing plans to take on apprentices include north London-based Hayward Tyler and Norfolk-based Warren Services.

Commenting on these new commitments to vocational training Business Secretary Vince Cable congratulated the employers involved and linked their pledges to a government commitment to put “an end to the damaging divide between vocational and academic learning”.

Dr Cable continued: “We are committing the biggest ever investment in Apprenticeships and are on track to create two million Apprenticeships over the course of this Parliament.

“The resounding success of this year’s National Apprenticeship week demonstrates that apprenticeships are deservedly becoming more popular with business of all sizes.

According to Cable, apprentices now contribute £1.8 billion to the British economy. Today’s pledge to increase placements will enhance this still further, helping more people develop practical skills and helping businesses to grow said the Business Secretary.

The National Apprenticeship Week-inspired commitment to create more apprentice opportunities were compiled by the National Apprenticeship Service and add to recent research with showed 44% of employers intend to take on one or more apprentice in the next five years.

To help further increase this intent among smaller firms, a new online mentoring service for companies embarking on apprenticeship provision was also launched this week.

For more information about apprenticeships in the UK go to apprenticeships.org.uk.

For information about traineeships go to bitly.com/Traineeships2014.

The pledgers

Below is a list of all employers who have committed to create apprentice positions during National Apprenticeship Week

The Centre for Mineral Products Professional Development
A.P. Broome Landscapes Limited
Accord Group
Adatis Consulting Ltd
ADI
Affinity Sutton
Ageing in Great Britain CIC
Aim High Training Solutions Ltd
Anchor
Anglian Water
Aon
Aquafax
Ashtead Plant Hire
Atkins
Atos
aVida Care Ltd
Babcock International
Babcock International
Balfour Beatty
Barlows (UK) Ltd
Barratt Developments PLC
Be Training Academy Ltd
Be Wiser Insurance
Becton Dickinson UK Ltd
Belvior Lettings
Benslow Music Trust
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Blackpool Council
Bolton Council
Boots

Bradleys Estate Agents

Brent Council
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival
British Airways
Brooklyn House
Brunelcare
BT plc
Bury Council
Capita Talent Partnerships
Carlisle City Council
Carlisle City Council
Casgo Connections Ltd
Caterpillar
Central Bedfordshire Council
Central Training Academy
Centro
Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
Cheeky Munkey
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Chevron Traffic Management
Claremont PR
Clarkson Evans
Clocktower
Compass Group UK & Ireland
Covea Insurance
Crafting Time Ltd
Cumbria County Council
Dale Power Solutions Ltd
Danbro
Dance East
Dataflow Peripherals
Days Lettings
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
Defence Support International
DEG Signal Ltd
Derby Homes
Derry Building Services
DKFS Training Ltd
e2v
EE
Emanuel Whittaker
Enable
esg.
Everton in the Community
Farmfoods Limited
Fisher Management
Frankie and Benny’s
Fujitsu
Full Circle Learning
Futures Housing Group
Gestamp Tallent Ltd
Ginger Nut Media
Gist Limited
Glotech
Greene King
GSK
GSM England Retail UK
Hailey Hall School
Hayward Tyler Limited
HBP Systems Ltd
Henley College Coventry
Heritage Foundation
Hertfordshire County Council
Hopwood Hall College
HYBRiD (Grimsby) Ltd
IBM UK Ltd
IMPACT Apprenticeships
Interactive Red
ITV
J Murphy & Sons Ltd
James Paget University Hospital
Kingswood
KLM UK Engineering Limited
KMF
Kruger Associates Ltd
Kustom Clothing
La Bote
Lafarge Tarmac
Laing O’Rourke
Lakefield Foods
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Learning Unlimited
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Leicester City Council
LIVES NOT KNIVES
Lloyds Banking Group
Lucy Glyn Support Services Ltd
Mainstay Group Ltd
Mayor of London
McCann Manchester
Meroncourt
Merseylink CJV
Milton Keynes Service Partnership LLP
Mitchells & Butlers
Morecare Ltd
MPR Music Production
National Sales Academy
Nemco
Network Rail
New Charter Housing Trust Group
New Wolsey Theatre
Next Retail Ltd
NG Bailey
Nominet
Nomura International PLC
Norbert Dentressangle
North Hertfordshire College
North Hertfordshire District Council
North Lincolnshire Homes
Northumberland County Council
Not Going to Uni
Nottingham City Council
Nyama
O2
Paneltex Limited
Paxman Landscapes Uk Ltd
PHOENIX Medical Supplies Ltd/ Rowlands Pharmacy
Pinnacle Support
Pixel by pixel
Plymouth Apprenticeship Company
Plymouth City Council
Portmill Surgery
Pursuit Training
Quite Great Limited
Redrow Homes
Reed NCFE
Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa
RNLI
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Rotherham NHS
Rugged & Tough Ltd
Sanctuary Personnel
Santander UK
Sarah Hodge Hairdressing Group
Scientifica Ltd
SCWS Limited
Selco Trade Centres
Sequence
Serco Vocational Services
Severn Trent Water
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHSFT
Silver Trowel Ltd
Skill-serve Training Ltd
Smiths Row
South Glos Council
South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Southampton Solent University
Southend CAB
southwest trains
Stafford College
Starbucks Coffee Company
Stronghold International
Stronghold International Ltd
Syngenta
TCA Lifting Ltd
TES2000 LTD
Thames Water Utilities Limited
The apprentice agency
The College of West Anglia
The Flying Music Company Limited
The ITP
The Juice Academy
The Manufacturing Technology Centre
The Red Lion
The Sanctuary Group
The Social Resource Centre Ltd
The Walton Centre FT NHS
The Way Ahead Training & Consultancy Ltd
Thompson and First Choice
Timico Ltd
TMB Patterns Limited
TNT Post
TR18Contact
Trade and Discount Signs
Transport for London
Transport for London
Travelodge
UKFast
United Utilities
Virgin Media
Walsall Works programme
Walter Smith Fine Foods Ltd
Warren Services
Warwickshire County Council
Way ahead Care
way Homecare
West Notts College
Wheatfield Surgery
Whitbread
William Hill
WSP
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Yorkshire Housing
YPO