Walsall College has helped dozens of local business understand how they can access their Apprenticeship levy funds, through workshops and bespoke one-to-one sessions. Employers are now using their understanding to recruit apprentices and to upskill their existing workforce.
In 2015, the College supported home assistance provider HomeServe in launching their apprenticeship programme.
Since initiating the scheme, Walsall College has supported HomeServe by recruiting over 60 apprentices, all of whom are mentored by a network of engineers within the company.
Walsall College have recently been helping one of the town’s largest employers HomeServe to recruit 16 new Customer Service staff for the organisation’s Claims Contact Centre.
Matt Hill, Director of Learning and Development at HomeServe, said: “As one of the UK’s leading home assistance providers, we’re dedicated to filling skills gaps across the plumbing, drainage and gas engineer industry by investing in our future workforce.
We are using our levy funds to ensure the next generation of engineers e are equipped with the skills needed to continue to provide our customers with the highest standards of service they expect from us. We recognise the value of training our team, and providing them with opportunities to enhance their career with HomeServe.
Apprenticeships are a great way of attracting new talent, increasing retention and productivity, and tailoring training to specific business needs.”
Walsall Council is also using the levy to upskill its workforce. In July 2017, the local authority re-launched its Apprenticeship programme to ensure staff have access to training to develop skills for their current role.
With Apprenticeship programmes ranging from level 2 to management degree level, the Council is developing its workforce so that it can meet the challenges and opportunities in the future.
“This is a new era of Apprenticeships and we’re redefining the perception of what an apprenticeship entails,” says Councillor Keith Chambers, Walsall’s portfolio holder for personnel and business support.
“Our programme, Endless Possibilities works with selected quality training partners, including Walsall College to deliver apprenticeships at all levels. Our staff, depending on their experience, can now access training programmes that will upskill them in their current role and give them the skills for future opportunities. The response has been fantastic.
“It shows that as a local authority, we’re moving with the times.”
The Council has 70 people now accessing Apprenticeship Training throughout the organisation, 20 of whom are with Walsall College. These include Business Management, Finance, Building Control, Print and Design, Team Leading, working with Children & Young People, and Supporting Teaching & Learning across Walsall school and nurseries.
Alongside recruiting more apprentices in the local region, Walsall College have also seen a rise in employer satisfaction. According to the Skills Funding Agency FE Choices Survey, 89% employers are satisfied with the apprentices trained under the College – an increase from the last year’s 75% satisfaction rate.
As one of the largest providers of 16-18 apprenticeship training in the West Midlands, Walsall College engages with over 500 employers with success rates 16% above the national average.
James Norris, Assistant Principal for Commercial Development at Walsall College, said: “We are proud of what we have achieved so far with our employers and apprentices. Since offering advice to business on making the best of their Apprenticeship Levy funds, we have seen a significant increase in the number of employers taking on apprentices, without compromising on quality. In turn, more young people are entering the workforce, whilst employer satisfaction increases.
Apprenticeships are vital in today’s job market. They provide young people with the opportunity to gain valuable skills and real work experience that will lead to greater employment prospects in the future.
“They are also a fantastic way for businesses to develop new talent and pass their knowledge on to the next generation of workers. It’s for this reason that we offer such a large range of Apprenticeships at Walsall College and work closely with our employer partners.
On National Apprenticeship Week, we hope to encourage more employers to utilise their Apprenticeship Levy Funds to enhance their workforce and productivity”.
