Apprenticeships through procurement
Introduction
Youth unemployment (16-24’s) is high on the agenda of all political parties and apprenticeships are seen as a key strategy towards addressing this issue. A positive approach towards apprenticeships is a means of minimising the social and economic impacts of youth unemployment.
Best practice from existing activity across the partner authorities indicates that there are various ways by which the numbers of apprentices can be grown:
- Through economic regeneration projects within the community
- Acting in a corporate parent role to the young people we support
- By increasing the number of apprenticeship posts in our core service areas
- Via procurement contracts.
Partner authorities may be able to provide a variety of apprenticeships in their core service areas. However, this may be more difficult in areas of traditional craft apprenticeships such as construction, engineering, IT etc where this type of work has often been outsourced to external suppliers. This is where procurement is key to expanding apprenticeship numbers and helping to reduce youth unemployment and its consequences in the communities where contracts are being performed on our behalf.
Nottingham City Council’s one in a million strategy demonstrates how public procurement can be successfully used to encourage uptake of apprenticeships. For every £1 million of contract spend to refurbish social housing the selected contractor will employ one apprentice. Please follow this link for further information.
Many of our suppliers will already employ apprentices. However, through the award of contracts and by means of supplier relationship management, the partner authorities have the opportunity to further promote apprenticeships.
Information on apprenticeships
An apprenticeship includes:
- an employment contract usually lasting 6 months - 2 years
- practical work experience
- completion of a relevant NVQ & Technical Certificate
- key skills support (literacy, numeracy & communication) and qualification
- minimum salary of £95 per week at age 16 -17 rising to £120 at 18 years old.
Qualifications are fully funded for ages 16 - 18 and some 19+ funding is available but this is limited. Qualification and funding support is obtained via a training provider - this can be a college or a private company.
Mouchel Learning Partnership is just one of many organisations who can provide suppliers with advice and guidance on apprenticeships and their Apprenticeship Team can be contacted on 01522 518008. It should be noted Procurement Lincolnshire does not endorse any specific training provider and other providers are available.
Suppliers can recruit apprentices for their organisations via the National Apprentice Service web site free of charge (www.apprenticeships.org.uk). The training provider will work with the supplier to create the recruitment advert and will enter it for them. Once recruited, the training provider registers the apprentice which releases the qualification funding.
Public procurement can be an important tool in combating youth unemployment and by positively addressing this issue, local authorities can realise a number of social and economic benefits.
