Eastleigh College and Fareham College are launching an Apprenticeships awareness campaign alongside National Apprenticeship Week 2016, encouraging businesses to create more Apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the local area.

The Colleges are encouraging employers to ‘pledge’ the number of Apprentices they plan to recruit this year, with the aim of reaching a total of 500 new Apprentices by September 2016!   

Apprenticeships enable employers to create bespoke training programmes suited to their business needs, while Apprentices receive practical, paid work experience in a workplace environment, in addition to a national recognised qualification. Over 66% of employers rate relevant work skills as a ‘critical’ or ‘significant’ factor in employment¹.

And Apprenticeships aren’t just limited to trades – the most popular Apprenticeships in 2015 included Business and Management and Health and Social Care. Apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly popular route to a successful career, and someone with a Higher Apprenticeship (equivalent to a undergraduate degree) can expect to earn more over their lifetime than a typical University graduate².

As part of the campaign, Eastleigh College is hosting a Parent’s Information Event on Wednesday 16^th March where parents will have the opportunity to speak to current Apprentices and local employers to find out more about what Apprenticeships involve. The College will also be welcoming employers who are looking to hire Apprentices to an official lunch, where they will be able to hear from other employers about how Apprenticeships can benefit their business.

With a focus of the changing importance of Apprenticeships in the local area, both Colleges felt there was a lack of awareness of the breadth Apprenticeships available and what the training programmes involve. The Colleges decided the best way to tackle this common challenge was to work together to inform young people, parents and employers of the benefits Apprenticeships offer for individuals and businesses.

Jan Edrich, Chief Executive and Principal at Eastleigh College, said “We are very much looking forward to working collaboratively with Fareham College on this project. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring both of our voices together to convey the same message, and enhance people’s understanding of the range of benefits Apprenticeships can offer.”