Apprenticeship programme helps create over 2000 apprenticeships

An apprenticeship programme has provided support for 2941 businesses, helping them to create 2367 apprenticeships.

The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was first launched in January 2013 to encourage businesses to provide apprenticeships for young people.

Value

The first phase of the LEP’s programme was a 4.6 million scheme that was funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills through the Skills Funding Agency.

The scheme consisted of a central LEP team, along with eight apprenticeship hubs in Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield, York and North Yorkshire and two training agencies in Leeds and Bradford.

The programme, which is estimated to have a long-term economic value of £101.4m, focuses on helping businesses to provide more career opportunities for 16-24 year olds.

Success

Commenting on the programme, Stephanie Burras, Chief Executive at the Ahead Partnership and Chair of the LEP’s Employment and Skills Panel, said: “The LEP’s apprenticeship programme has achieved great success since it launched in 2013. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to support so many young people into apprenticeship roles, with the potential to support even more as we move into the second phase of the programme.”

Burras also stated that creating more and better apprenticeships is a “key element” of the recently launched Skills Plan and that the programme has brought the LEP much closer to its goal of making the Leeds City Region a NEET-free region (not in employment, education or training).

The first phase of the LEP’s apprenticeship programme ended in March 2016, and its success has led to the programme being extended until 30 October 2016.