In line with City College Brighton and Hove’s ongoing commitment to boosting local apprenticeships, a new ‘City Apprenticeships’ service has been launched, based at the College’s City Skills & Jobs Shop on Queens Road.

The scheme is offering a flexible and tailored apprenticeship matching service to SMEs who possibly cannot afford the time or financial commitment that a full-time payrolled apprentice can demand.

City Apprenticeships will offer apprenticeships in a part time capacity as well as the standard full time option. This increases the opportunities for employers to create apprenticeship positions in their work place, whereas in the past they may not have been able to commit themselves due to reasons such as financial, restrictions on staffing numbers, or not being able to commit to the full framework of the process.

This in turn will be of benefit to those looking to move into an apprenticeship opportunity as the variety of options will rise. With the part time option there is the opportunity for an apprentice to work within two companies at the same time. This will increase the level of work place experience for apprentices, as well as increasing the opportunity of gaining a permanent position with the employer.

The emphasis will also be on conversion of apprenticeship roles into permanent opportunities. This will be achieved through strong relations between employers and the City Apprenticeships consultants to gather and promote vacancy opportunities for apprentices.

Council Leader, Jason Kitcat said, “This is significant because it removes barriers to entry to apprenticeships and means that more small to medium size enterprises can participate in the framework”.

“Apprenticeships are such a key way of getting people skills and getting them into employment. I think we lost our way a bit in the past with an excessive focus on university education and while universities have their role to play, apprenticeships are an important way of getting skilled people into the workforce and this brings a new focus to it and makes it a lot easier for employers to start taking on apprentices.”

Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Bill Randall, added, "84% of companies in the city employ ten or fewer people and don’t have the resources to put apprenticeships in place themselves so having this service to take the burden from them is really helpful”.

For more information please contact City Apprenticeships on 01273 667771