West Cheshire College to host lunch to encourage employers to take part in Apprenticeship Week 2010

Jan 21 2010 Chester Chronicle

EMPLOYERS in the Chester and Ellesmere Port areas are being invited to a special Apprenticeship Week lunch to find out more about the benefits of taking on an apprentice.

And there will be a £2,500 “golden hello” to help employers take on new 16 to 17-year-olds.

The National Apprenticeship Service is offering 5,000 ‘golden hellos’ nationally, but the offer is only available until March 31.

Ellesmere Port Civic Hall is the venue for the lunch, hosted by West Cheshire College, where Ellesmere Port & Neston MP Andrew Miller and key employers will be talking about the apprenticeship programme and its importance to business success, to young people and to the area’s economy.

West Cheshire College is one of the leading providers of apprenticeships in the region with more than 300 currently in place across 25 different job sectors including accountancy, construction, engineering, hair and beauty, business administration, childcare, IT and warehousing and distribution.

Commercial services manager Jayne Smith said: “We have worked closely with local employers for a number of years to develop apprenticeships which meet their business needs and research clearly demonstrates the success of the programme.

“Apprenticeships provide a high-quality alternative route to career success for individuals and give employers the right people with the right skills for their business.

“In the current circumstances it’s even more important to keep training so that local employers are ready to build up our local economy once again.”

Apprenticeship Week 2010 is designed to highlight the success and importance of apprenticeships and West Cheshire College’s lunch is designed to offer employers a chance to find out more about the programme as well as an opportunity to discuss the scheme with current employers and apprenticeships.

Employers wishing to book a place at the lunch should contact Emma Worthington on 01244 670459 or email e.worthington2@west-cheshire.ac.uk

People wanting to find out more about becoming an apprentice, or employers interesting in taking on apprentices, should call the college hotline on 01244 670600.

To find out more about ‘golden hellos’ visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Partners/AGE-16and17.aspx.