New apprenticeships schemes created
John Hayes rides to the rescue gain…
A number of major high street banks will create new apprenticeship schemes and offer more places to young people, Skills Minister John Hayes announced today.
The announcements were made during National Apprenticeship Week at a financial services sector roundtable, held at HSBC in Canary Wharf, to look at the creation of new apprenticeship routes into employment.
Banks announcing plans to further engage with the Government’s educational and back to work reforms include:
- Barclays will create 1,000 new apprenticeships across England and Wales with a major programme launching in April
- HSBC will create an extra 688 apprentices bringing the total number of employees within its apprenticeship scheme to 1,000 by the end of 2012
- Santander will launch an apprenticeship scheme that will see up to 50 people offered places at the bank.
1. On Tuesday the Prime Minister announced round two of the Higher Apprenticeship Fund which will support thousands of apprenticeships up to degree equivalent, helping deliver the world class skills firms need to drive growth.
2. The Prime Minister also opened the bidding for the new Employer Ownership pilot, inviting employers in England to apply to access up to £250m of public investment and secure more control over how skills training is designed and delivered.
3. He also announced that from this week, small firms will be offered an incentive of £1,500 to hire their first young apprentices. This is expected to support up to 40,000 new apprenticeships over the next year.
4. Successful applicants to the Barclays Apprenticeship programme will receive 12 months training and support and progress to a permanent position. During their training, apprentices will also work to achieve a competency qualification in Financial Services similar to an NVQ, a BTEC Award in Customer Service, and qualifications in numeracy and literacy.
