Ian Vallely

SEMTA issues Yorkshire and Humber skills warning

News
1 min read

Businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber have been warned that they are in danger of falling behind the rest of the country in the race for growth.

Semta – the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies – has launched a campaign called 'Six Steps to Skilling' in a bid to help the region catch up and keep pace with competitors.

Semta said: "The Government has pledged to create three million new apprenticeships during this Parliament. While many large companies' apprenticeship schemes are hugely oversubscribed small and medium sized enterprises struggle to attract the right young people to learn the trade – and help propagate growth."

Al Parkes (pictured), chief operating officer for Semta, added that Yorkshire and Humber would be among the first regions in the UK to be supported by the campaign: "Our research shows that the region has a particularly acute problem – and we are geared up to make a tangible difference to the situation.

"SMEs in Yorkshire and Humber could be left behind in the race for growth – so we have created a programme to give them a chance to catch up with the rest of the country."

She added: "Many large employers in the region have apprenticeship schemes that are grossly over-subscribed – but these applicants are not finding their way down the supply chain to the thousands of businesses crying out for young talent."

Semta's six steps to skilling are:

  • Step 1 - Believe in the hype – appointing an apprentice really does bring substantial benefits to a business by increasing productivity and building a motivated loyal workforce – and securing the talent pipeline.
  • Step 2 - Get access to all available funding – The Semta Apprenticeship Service will help businesses ensure that all available avenues are available to them.
  • Step 3 - Get the right apprentice – the one-stop-shop for skills takes care of the whole recruitment process from pre-selection to appointment using www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk
  • Step 4 - Don't be put off by bureaucracy.
  • Step 5 - Make sure your apprenticeship is right for your business.
  • Step 6 - Work with a partner that understands your needs.


http://www.semta.org.uk/sas/the-route-to-apprenticeship-success-for-smes