TRAINING
Building foundations- apprenticeships have become a valued career route for young Teessiders.
Child play – the Etc. offers a wide range of apprenticeships.
To keep building that future talent pipeline we need more employers to engage so that we can support them to support our young people into careers.”
“ We work with organisations of all sorts and sizes, from local authorities, private and public sector and charities,” continues Erika.
“ But to keep building that future talent pipeline we need more employers to engage so that we can support them to support our young people into careers.”
The Etc. has a broad range of apprenticeship and training options.
“ We will engage with an employer and ask,‘ What are your workforce requirements? Let’ s fill your skills gaps’. Then we build a programme that upskills members of the existing workforce, trains entry-level apprentices, or both. We’ ll market those vacancies and check candidates have the right attributes.
“ There are also young people who will come to us and say,‘ I want to do an apprenticeship in a particular subject’. Then we’ ll say,‘ OK, we’ ll have a look at an employer for you – or have you got one of your own?’ And then we work out the different ways they can get there.
“ We have a bit of a mantra in terms of our study programmes-‘ The right learner on the right course leads to the right outcomes’. And we’ ve adapted that with our apprenticeship recruitment to,‘ The right apprentice on the right standard, with the right employer leading to the right outcomes’.”
With around 25 different apprenticeships, there’ s plenty of choice at the Etc. With discussions currently ongoing about its strategy to 2030, all apprenticeships are chosen with confidence there’ ll be job opportunities at the end of them.
And the equipment apprentices use – including in the joinery workshops and Early Years and Childcare classrooms Erika showed Tees Business around – is recommended by industry.
She explains:“ They’ ve told us what we should be using, and that’ s what we train our apprentices on, so they emerge familiar with it.”
On Teesside, with developments such as Teesworks and renewable energy schemes offering new opportunities, she feels apprentices are a great option.
She says:“ We are all aware of Teesworks and the engineering-type roles in the future as a result, but supporting those are going to be the accountants, hospitality managers, transport planners, logistics, all of that.
“ The supply and demand are there. Employers are now really seeing the value of apprenticeships. And while some of it is complex, so many employees are seeing the benefits.
“ An apprenticeship now is not the apprenticeship of old – they’ ve cast off those outdated shackles and are now modern and relevant.”
To find out how the Education Training Collective can help your business benefit from apprenticeships or bespoke training, visit the-etc. ac. uk or contact the Business Development team on 01642 865557 or email: business @ the etc. ac. uk
The voice of business in the Tees region | 59