‘Inspire more businesses to hire apprentices’, says BCC
1 min read
As National Apprenticeships Week begins (3-7 March), the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has called on businesses to highlight the value that apprentices bring to their company in a bid to encourage more firms across the UK to hire them.
Demand from young people for apprenticeship places continues to outstrip the supply provided by employers (with some surveys warning that demand outpaces supply by a rate of 12 to one).
The BCC said: "With youth unemployment still unacceptably high at 917,000 in the UK, the leading business group is campaigning to get more companies to recognise the benefits of apprenticeships – and to increase the supply of places available."
The BCC is also calling on the government to make it more attractive for companies to take on apprentices, urging the Chancellor to use his Spring Budget later this month to announce a two-year extension to the Apprenticeships Grant for Employers (AGE) scheme, which would boost the supply of apprenticeship places and spur on-going business investment in young people.
It also urged government to create a new £1,000 time-limited payment to businesses that hire a 16-to-24 year-old in 2014, "challenging companies to take on and train more of the 900,000 young people looking for work at a critical point in Britain's economic recovery".
Nora Senior, president of the BCC, said: "Our message to businesses is 'take a chance and see for yourself the contribution that young people can make'. Chambers of Commerce across the UK stand ready to provide advice and support to your company if you're unsure about the process and the potential benefits to your business."
