Are Grantham businesses embracing apprenticeships?
Unemployment amongst the 18-25s is a problem throughout the UK, not just Grantham, and businesses are struggling in the aftermath of the recession.
This means there are less jobs available in the area - and if there are any, businesses generally want to hire experienced individuals who can get on with being productive straight away.
But I believe apprenticeships amongst 18-25s should be positively encouraged.
Higher education has become too expensive for some young people, or is just not an option due to their qualifications.
As a result, they’re leaving school or college with the hopes of finding a job, only to be told they’re too inexperienced to have any chance of finding one.
It’s hard to gain experience if nobody will give you a chance in the first place!
We will always need a skilled workforce – in construction, plumbing, childcare and so on – all trades which will be vital as we look to build a better future. We’d have many skilled individuals for years to come, instead of a young generation that has been unable to find work and has instead relied on the state for income.
The longer they’re out of work, the harder it will be for them.
Apprenticeship programmes seem like a win/win solution in a time where young people can’t find work, or don’t have the experience necessary to take up the jobs that are available.
We are lucky enough to have a great local college that offers a wide variety of apprenticeship programmes.
Furthermore, the Government has decided not to cut funding in apprenticeships amongst the 19-24s and 25s and over during the 2012/2013 academic year, which is good news.
What do you think? Should Grantham businesses be encouraged to take on more apprentices? Is your business doing just that? I’d like to know, please.
by Alison Robson
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Cos_I_Said_So_Alright!
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 06:03 PMI completely agree with this, and moreso for the 25+ age range. There is already a lot of support and funding geared towards school leavers finding either employment or continuing their studies but this tends to wind down around the age of about 19. We're in a situation where the typical progression through life seems to be changing, where people used to get their employment prospects sorted early, we're now finding that many people are either starting families young (and so putting their career prospects on hold due to their caring responsibilities) or are making the wrong choices in their teens and neglecting their employment prospects due to the consequences of those poor choices (crime or substance abuse being major contributors to such scenarios). Due to these we have a large section of society (not just here, but nationwide) who are looking to enter the workforce later in life, many of whom end up trapped either completely or partially on benefits due to lack of qualifications and experience and having to compete with school and university leavers. Surely providing a way in which they could earn a wage that would give them self sufficiency rather than leaving them reliant on state help is something that would benefit everybody?
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