Speakers included Steve Hughes from the British Chambers of Commerce, Paul Johnson from Swindon and Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership, Alex Pyatt from Withy King and our own New College Swindon Principal Graham Taylor.

Graham discussed the increasing importance of Apprenticeships, the available government funding and the benefits of Apprenticeships to the employer.

“Most employers are not aware of the range and scope of Apprenticeships today or the funding that is open to them if they want to go down this route. There is a perception that your typical apprentice is male, aged 16-21 and employed in an industry like plumbing or construction at a very junior level. However, this is not the case – the top three most popular Apprenticeships last academic year were Customer Service, Health and Social Care and Retail. These were closely followed by Business Administration and Management. Whilst Apprenticeship training for the 16-18 age group is free, those for the 19-24 and the 25+ are part-funded by the Government.”

“Apprenticeships are all about employment and skills development; they are not just a vocational training course. This cost –effective training can provide a great return on investment as apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, productive, flexible and loyal. In the current economic climate, why not grow and develop your own staff? New College can work closely with employers to provide a full service with Apprenticeships, finding the best solutions to meet business need and offering additional bespoke training where necessary.”