National Apprenticeship Service launched
This was followed on May 6th by a Parliamentary launch at Portcullis House near the House of Commons. About 150 apprentices, employers, stakeholders, MPs and NAS staff attended. They heard speeches from Skills Minister Lord Young, NAS Chief Executive Simon Waugh and Rachel Hoyle, winner of the LSC’s Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award in 2009.
The event also saw the launch of the 'National Apprenticeship Service Prospectus'. To download a copy, please click here.
In the East Midlands the NAS team is led by Regional NAS Director Karen Woodward. The team is divided into:
Learner Services, headed up by Learner Services Director Carolyn Savage, will be working to increase the number of people who use the new Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service (VMS), providing information and guidance to those choosing to follow an Apprenticeship and working with stakeholders and intermediaries to promote the benefits of Apprenticeships.
The Employer Services section divides the East Midlands into North (Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) headed up by Employer Services Director Sharon Forton and South (Lincolnshire and Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) headed up by Employer Services Director Henry Inman. This part of the team, will be working to increase the number of employers providing Apprenticeship opportunities and using the VMS, as well as linking into providers, stakeholders and brokers to ensure the Apprenticeship on offer is well understood and is helping to meet the region's business needs.
"Apprentices are vital to businesses and the economy, helping increase productivity and competitiveness. The NAS will build on this success by ensuring businesses are more informed of these benefits and can take advantage of them by offering Apprenticeship places," said Karen Woodward
"In the current climate Apprenticeships offer the best of both worlds; giving employers access to a pool of talent that can be shaped to improve business performance and providing people with a great start in their chosen career."
Research recently conducted on behalf of the LSC (Populus, January 2009) to mark Apprenticeship Week in February 2009 revealed:
- Eighty one per cent of businesses questioned said apprentices helped to generate higher overall productivity
- 21 per cent of employers are hiring more apprentices to help them through the global downturn
- Two thirds believed their apprentices helped them to be more competitive in their businesses (66 per cent)
- More than 82 per cent said they relied on their Apprenticeship programme to give them the skilled workers they needed for the future
- A massive 92 per cent of employers said Apprenticeships resulted in greater employee motivation and job satisfaction
- There are more companies with women apprentices than men (47 per cent women, 39 per cent men and 14 per cent equal)
- The newly created National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service means it’s never been easier to recruit apprentices and reap the benefits for your workforce.
To find out about Apprenticeships and the Vacancy Matching Service, please visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
Apprentice Rob Roast, from Greenbach Terotech Ltd in Swadlincote, meets Lord Young, Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships, who is a former apprentice himself; with Chris Patrick from Derbyshire-based training provider TS2000.