Hundreds of apprenticeships through new training agency

It is hoped that the traineeships will ultimately lead to a job boost for the city where the number of young unemployed people is above the national average.

Bradford district’s new Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) has been set up by Bradford Council with Bradford College to support the creation of just over 500 new apprenticeships in the next five years for 16 to 24-year-olds.

It will particularly focus on small employers who are not usually able to commit to taking on an apprentice.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s executive member for employment, skills and culture, said: “The ATA provides a real opportunity for small businesses to take on an apprentice without having to worry about red tape.

“There are 1,500 businesses in Bradford and 99 per cent of them are small and medium-sized enterprises so we think a lot of Bradford businesses will take a good look at this initiative in order to grow their business.”

The ATA, which is costing around £900,000, will take on a pool of apprentices itself which small firms can then hire week-by-week, thereby taking on the risk of the apprenticeship which helps those firms that are unsure about a long-term commitment.

The agency, which is supported by the Leeds City Region City Deal, is part of the Get Bradford Working Programme – the largest council-led employment scheme in the country.

Developed with local businesses and employers, the £7.7m programme will create hundreds of new jobs, apprenticeships and work experience placements.

Bradford Council has recently set aside a further £1.25m to support the development of advanced skills to aid business growth in the district.

Councillor David Green, leader of Bradford Council, said: “We are investing a lot of time and money into the Get Bradford Working programme and the launch of the Apprenticeship Training Agency which is part of that because we see boosting employment opportunities as a huge investment for the future and absolutely key to the regeneration of this district.”

It is hoped the ATA will be employer-led with training and qualifications fitted around the employers’ needs.

Emma Longbottom, Bradford Council’s commissioning manager for employment and skills, said: “It will be completely employer-led. We will be engaging with employers first and then looking to engage with the providers who can deliver relevant qualifications. It depends what the businesses require. Anything they require we will try to source and if not available we will try to find someone who could develop something.”

Figures from March show there were 5,420 18 to 24-year-olds claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance in Bradford; a youth claimant rate of 10.9 per cent, compared to 6.8 per cent nationally.

Miss Longbottom said: “Youth unemployment in Bradford is higher than nationally. There are a lot of different reasons. We have a young population in Bradford and it’s a growing youth population as well. Obviously there are recessional issues and things like that which are the same across the board.”

Bradford Council has appointed a new member of staff to promote apprenticeships to schools and employers.

Michele Sutton, principal of Bradford College, said: “It is vital that we recognise and value apprenticeships as an important route for young people to take. The college is delighted to enter into a partnership to help strengthen the local talent pool by developing high levels of technical and specialist knowledge and skills.”

Small and medium-sized businesses are invited to the launch at Hope Park Business Centre in Trevor Foster Way, Bradford.