£2.5m funding boost created for apprenticeships
East Midlands businesses are being urged to take advantage of a £2.5m funding pot available for apprenticeships and work-based training. The fund, which is managed by Chesterfield College, includes 450 apprenticeship grants of £2,000 each.
The college was selected as a managing partner of the fund by the National Apprenticeship Service, Skills Funding Agency and European Social Fund. The initiative follows the launch of the college’s Apprenticeship Academy last month.
Two types of funds will be available. The first, Age Grants, is available until the end of March 2011 to businesses with fewer than 50 employees which take on a 16 to 18-year-old apprentice who is not employed or in education.
Four hundred and fifty grants of £2,000 are available. A sum of £750 will be payable upon initial sign up and the rest delivered when the apprentice has completed 13 weeks of work.
Until the end of June 2011, businesses with fewer than 250 employees can access funded training, which is delivered in the workplace.
The funding will support adults across the region to achieve a Level 2 qualification through an adult apprenticeship.
This grant is available to businesses operating in a wide range of sectors including sales and telesales, train operations and ICT professional.
