Campaign to Create 650 Apprentices Launched by MP Sarah Newton

A campaign to create 650 new apprentices in Cornwall was launched by Truro and Falmouth MP Sarah Newton when she visited an apprentice sail-maker this week.

Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency (CAA) announced the target during National Apprenticeship Week, while celebrating receiving national approval to operate as an Apprenticeship Training Agency, plus being awarded £630,000 to help it achieve its goal.

Ms Newton said: “This is fantastic news both for businesses looking to grow and for young people. It gives the message to school leavers that you do not have to go outside Cornwall to find jobs. There are brilliant opportunities on our doorstep, with a wide range of high quality apprenticeships that are packaged with great training opportunities.”

The MP pledged her support for the campaign while meeting apprentice Josh Blakeston, 17, at SKB Sails in Penryn. The teenager said: “I’m enjoying the hands on experience and am getting a wage as I learn the sail-making trade.”

The CAA’s funding awarded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills will allow the Agency to appoint a specialist team of skills brokers across 10 sectors in Cornwall who will engage with 3,600 mainly small businesses to advise on skills solutions and promote the availability of the CAA model of apprenticeship.

The Agency is unique in Cornwall in its approach to helping small businesses, who previously faced the biggest barriers to engaging in apprenticeships, to grow.

Mark Beckett, CAA Manager, said: “We tailor bespoke Apprenticeship support and benefit packages. We handle the recruitment and matching process, plus source financial incentives, allowing businesses to grow and increase their productivity at a reduced risk and cost.”

“We tailor bespoke Apprenticeship support and benefit packages. We handle the recruitment and matching process, plus source financial incentives, allowing businesses to grow and increase their productivity at a reduced risk and cost.”

The CAA has been operating as an Apprenticeship Training Agency ‘In Development’ since last October. Its new full status places it on the National Apprenticeship Service’s approved list of apprenticeship providers. It operates under the parent company Cornwall Marine Network, supports a range of sectors and has a specialist training team with extensive experience in creating training packages specific to businesses’ needs.

Ms Newton added: “I urge employers looking to expand their workforce to consider the apprenticeship route. It is a great way to nurture the right individual, support their skills development according to your needs and to increase productivity.”

“I urge employers looking to expand their workforce to consider the apprenticeship route. It is a great way to nurture the right individual, support their skills development according to your needs and to increase productivity.”

To find out more about how Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency can help you, call 01326 314904, email info@cornwallapprenticeshipagency.co.uk

• Posted: March 1, 2013
• By: Tim Bowerbank
• Categories: Latest News