Rochdale Council incentivises apprenticeship in the borough

Rochdale Council has announced that apprentices in the borough will receive an additional payment of £1,000 from the council as an incentive to continue their apprenticeship. Employers operating within the borough will also receive an extra £1,000 for every new apprentice they take on.

The council hopes this incentive will motivate more young people to take up an apprenticeship in fields such as informational technology, computing and engineering.

Additional funds

This additional incentive is over and above the Greater Manchester grant of £1,500 that is already in place for employers that take on apprentices. The grant also includes £1,000 if the apprenticeship reaches Level 3, which is the equivalent of an A-level.

Council Leader, Richard Farnell, said that the council is working hard to create new jobs in Rochdale, and this has created a need to ensure there are skilled youth to fill up these vacancies. The incentive will also encourage existing apprentices to continue training.

The council announced the Apprenticeship Bonus, which is a financial incentive for apprentices and employers to encourage apprenticeships and also ensure they progress to an advanced or higher degree level. Farnell believes that the incentive will work to retain talent in Rochdale.

Local residents  

The council expressed support for businesses in Rochdale and wants to help them grow. It is using the cash incentive to help businesses and also increase apprentices’ skill levels and help them boost their earnings. 

The council also stated that apprentices have to reside in Rochdale to get the bonus. However, they can work for or train under a business or training provider located elsewhere.