Don't get left behind! Cambridge Network, QA Apprenticeships and the Skills Funding Agency are joining together with local employers to explore the exciting possibilities of apprenticeships.
Although graduate recruitment remains important for many companies, apprentices present a real opportunity for organisations to build a sustainable eco system to recruit, train and develop young talent. They also represent an opportunity for training providers, as employers will need quality industry and employer-relevant training delivered locally.
Apprentices deliver real business value, increasing employee satisfaction, building skills capacity, delivering greater productivity, reducing staff turnover and lowering recruitment costs.
This is National Apprenticeship Week and this event, which takes place from 6pm-8pm at The Hauser Forum, (3 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0GT) is aimed at businesses who may be considering apprenticeships. You'll hear from the Skills Funding Agency and local training providers, as well as companies which have had success with apprenticeships and are willing to share their experiences.
Speakers include Bill Parsons, former EVP of ARM, who will talk about the demand for digital skills and the growing skills deficit, and National Apprenticeship Ambassador David Keeling, COO of Bango, who said: "Needing to find the very best talent to support our business's future growth, we turned to apprenticeships – and have not looked back." Karen Kelly from the Skills Funding Agency will provide a session on the myths, barriers and truths surrounding the recruitment of apprentices.
The event is supported by QA Apprenticeships, the award-winning provider of IT apprenticeships in the UK. QA has led the way in technology apprenticeships, creating 5000 careers in five years, and will be launching in the Cambridge region at the event.
Siobhan Cronin, Head of Engagement says, “Apprenticeships are now a proven skills solution for technology businesses when recruitment and training are aligned to sector needs. We have developed our apprenticeship portfolio including IT, software development, and digital marketing to support the growing tech industry in the UK, to which Cambridge is a huge contributor. With 94% of our apprentices going onto full-time jobs, our aim is to create the best opportunities for the region’s young people with Cambridge businesses.”
Hilary Laing, Cambridge Network's COO, added: "The Network's Recruitment Gateway is increasingly successful in helping local employers to publicise and fill their vacancies, but we want to do more! We are championing this initiative and will give interested employers practical advice about what to do next."
Following the talks there will be a chance to network and meet local training providers as well as to hear more from some of the employers and apprentices who have undertaken apprenticeships recently.
Find out more and sign up here.
How ready are young people for the world of work? Your views sought...
Cambridge Area 14-19 Partnership (CAP) wants to know whether you think young people are ‘ready for work’ when they leave formal education.
Anne Bailey of CAP says: "For the past two years, we have been working with hundreds of volunteers from local enterprises to give young people insight into careers in our region and prepare them with skills and experiences that will improve their ability to be successful at work.
"It’s a big job and we want to expand our efforts significantly. But right now what we want to know is what employers think of young people’s ‘work readiness’.
"Please complete our short questionnaire. It will help us establish a baseline that we will return to in the future to see if our efforts are making a difference.
"Thank you for your participation."
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H32Q7BL_____________________________________________________