Liverpool to offer apprenticeship grants

Liverpool City Council is offering funds to businesses in the city to support and encourage them to recruit new apprentices.

The council said its Liverpool apprenticeship scheme business grant initiative is looking to create 100 extra apprenticeships across the city.

A one-off payment of up to £3,000 for each recruit is being offered to support employers who take on new apprentices in their organisations for a minimum of a year. Businesses are expected to recruit Liverpool residents aged 16 years old and over.

The council said applications from all sectors will be considered and it is intended that the business grant scheme will particularly support those employers which help fill recognised skills gaps or target potential areas for economic growth in the city such as the SuperPort, low carbon economy and environment related work, the knowledge economy and the visitor economy.

The scheme is being promoted by the council and is supported by the National Apprenticeship Service, TUC's unionlearn and Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.

Cllr Nick Small, the council's cabinet member for employment and skills, said: "At a time when cuts in funding are being made across the board it is even more important that we support our young people in gaining the skills they need to obtain employment. We want to have a highly-skilled and motivated workforce ready to take advantage of any improvement in the economy in future years.

"I hope employers of all sizes will take this opportunity to use the support available and increase the number of apprentices in Liverpool."

The initiative will be launched at a breakfast event on Friday 5 November, from 8.30am until 10.30am, at the Tate Gallery on the Albert Dock. Cllr Small and representatives from the TUC and the Chamber of Commerce will speak about the benefits of the scheme to employers and the support available to them.

The council said the conditions which employers have to meet are:

• Apprentices must be paid at least the relevant national minimum wage for their age group
• They have to demonstrate real valuable apprenticeship employment in a supervised work environment
• Provide support to meet the needs of people with multiple barriers to entry into the job market

Further information about the grants is available from Caroline Lodge at Liverpool City Council on 0151 233 4699 or email caroline.lodge@liverpool.gov.uk