An Apprentice – Every business Should Have One

Posted by martinparry on June 23, 2010 under Business Planning, HR, SME News | Comments are off for this article

The coming months are set to be a crucial time for the education and training landscape. As the new government finds its feet, the initial signs are very encouraging and indicate a continuing commitment to the value of apprenticeships in the workplace.

In May the CBI/EDI Education and Skills Survey was published which asked over 600 UK employers to give their priorities for the new government. Ensuring young people are equipped with the employability skills they need to succeed in the workplace was top of the wish list for 70% of those polled. The survey also showed continuing enthusiasm among employers for providing apprenticeships, with 54% currently offering them and another 14% hoping to get involved in the coming months. Despite all the upheaval of the past 18 months, employers still know a good thing when they see it.

Under current economic conditions, employers need to ensure they have a steady stream of skilled employees to help them meet the demands of their customers; apprenticeships can play a vital role in sustaining this flow. Investment in apprenticeships not only increases the skills base of a company, it has a direct impact on the bottom line. According to statistics published by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), 80% of apprentice employers said they noticed a significant increase in productivity when employing apprentices.

EDI works in partnership with employers, further education colleges and private training providers to award a wide range of vocational qualifications, including apprenticeships. We’re committed to maintaining the highest standards for these vocational qualifications to ensure they offer a robust alternative to more traditional academic routes.

This year we’re once again sponsoring the Apprentice of the Year category at the National Apprenticeship Awards, our way of celebrating the valuable contribution of apprentices from across the country and the commitment of the organisations that employ them.

With over 190 different apprenticeship programmes now available, there is scope for employers of all types and size to get involved. As well as programmes in the traditional trades of carpentry and plumbing, apprenticeships are now offered in new areas such as creative and cultural, information technology and retail.

In terms of the training apprentices receive, I would argue that the mixture of practical experience and theoretical knowledge required by all apprentices to complete their qualification is exactly what modern businesses need in order to meet the challenges of tomorrow. While it is important to learn the theory of something it is also essential that this learning can be applied practically. We are in danger of restricting the potential of those who learn better in a more practical setting. Apprenticeships are not the easy way out for people with poor academic records. They are challenging programmes that present a different route to success for individuals looking to reach their potential in the world of work.
I would challenge the 32% of employers we surveyed who don’t yet have an apprentice on board, or aren’t yet contemplating hiring one, to find out what they’re missing. And I can vouch for the benefits; EDI has three apprentices and is currently recruiting more.

If you want to learn more about hiring an apprentice for your business go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Sc: Chris Bolton, Director of External Relations, EDI

Sc: www.ediplc.com/news www.ukba.co.uk

Cash Boost For Welsh Businesses

Posted by martinparry on June 4, 2010 under Banks, Finance, Grants, Loans | Comments are off for this article

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced a £3.5 million funding boost for small and medium-sized businesses in North Wales. The money will be used to develop the ‘Skills for the Workforce’ programme, which help employees acquire new skills.

To read more on this story go to:
http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/businessandeconomy/2010/100524cashboost/?lang=en

Compiled By www.ukba.co.uk

RDAs Hit By Government Funding Cuts

Posted by martinparry on May 26, 2010 under Business Planning, Finance, Grants, Loans, Resources, SME News, Start Ups, Strategic Planning | Comments are off for this article

According to an article in Regen.net The Treasury has announced that England’s regional development agencies will have to save £270 million in the current financial year through “ending lower value spending”.

Setting out how the coalition government intends to save £6.2 billion in 2010/11, chief secretary to the Treasury David Laws said that RDAs will “have to cut back on spending which has the lowest economic impact”.

A document published by the Treasury following the announcement said that the budget for the RDAs would have to provide £270 million of savings in 2010/11 “from ending lower value spending”.

Laws said: “Tough decisions are being made … Quangos across government will have to make major savings in their budgets.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that no decisions had been made yet on how the cuts would be spread across England’s nine RDAs.

But speaking in Warrington last week, new business secretary Vince Cable picked out the South-East England Development Agency (Seeda) and the East of England Development Agency (Eeda) as examples of RDAs whose existence is hard to justify.

Cable was quoted by the Financial Times as saying: “It is very difficult to see the justification for RDAs in the South-East and East, prosperous regions with a large private sector.

“There are areas like the North-West, Yorkshire and the West Midlands, where there are really serious structural problems and there seems to be a broad agreement with local businesses that the RDAs are doing a good job.”

Sc: www.regen.net Sc: www.ukba.co.uk

Finance For Business Consultancy Grants in West Midlands

Posted by martinparry on May 18, 2010 under Banks, Business Planning, Finance, Grants, Loans, SME News | Comments are off for this article

Do you or your clients need funding for their business? Business Link West Midlands “Finance for Business Consultancy” grants are now available to help with applications for the following activities (a) Work on grant applications such as GBI or GRD (b) Assistance with the development of a business plan as part of a fund raising project. (c) Charges levied by business finance consultancies in support of their work on fund raising projects. The average contribution to consultancy fees £2,500 ex vat (50% of project cost). If you would like to know more email martin.parry@mgba.co.uk

Sc: www.mgba.co.uk www.ukba.co.uk

Welsh Government Announces New Support Package

Posted by martinparry on March 1, 2010 under Finance, Grants, SME News, Training | Comments are off for this article

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has announced a £15 million business support package to help businesses prepare for the economic upturn. The funding will primarily be used for training and will go toward extending the ProAct programme, which helps employers who are facing difficulties during the downturn. The ProAct programme was due to close at the end of March, but applications are now welcome until the end of June. The skills growth initiative will be in operation from 1 April 2010.

For more on this story go to:
http://wales.gov.uk/news/latest/100211twintrack/?lang=en