Employers in Sheffield urged to claim £3,000 for hiring an apprentice
and live on Freeview channel 276
The scheme, which gives companies up to £2,000 for every new apprentice, is on top of the regular £1,000 grant employers receive for hiring an apprentice.
It was announced in July and was due to end on January 31. But Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended it by two months.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdEmployers receive £2,000 per apprentice aged 16-24 taken on by March 31, or £1,500 for those aged 25 and over.
Companies should act now to find candidates before the new deadline, according to Dale Robinson, head of business development at The Source Skills Academy.
He added: “The government hopes this extra time will encourage more companies to give a career chance to young people left jobless as a result of the pandemic.”
The Source helps employers access funds and candidates and has a pool of people it has trained to make them ‘apprenticeship-ready’, he added. It has placed more than 100 since the first lockdown in March.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLogistics company InXpress Sheffield, based at the Globe Works in Kelham Island, hired two apprentices after the pandemic led to growth in e-commerce.
Kerry Cook, business development officer at The Source, said: “I provided details of the funding and promised to let them know if any ‘shining stars’ came along.
“When Alex Watson and Tom Cutts approached The Source about apprenticeships I knew instinctively they had the potential to be a fantastic contribution to the InXpress team.”
Alex, of Heeley, who gained A-Levels at All Saints Sixth Form, said: “I was struggling, not knowing what to do after my education abruptly ended due to the pandemic.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Suddenly, my ties to universities and future opportunities had been cut, so I had to find my own alternatives. This opportunity could not have come at a better time for me.”
Tom had been offered university places after studying a Level 3 Infrastructure Technician diploma and an extended diploma at Barnsley College.
He decided to become a digital marketer and set his sights on an apprenticeship so he could learn on the job, contacting The Source.
“I am learning so much at InXpress Sheffield, including a passion for building websites,” said Tom. “I am building two for the company.”