Apprenticeship start numbers across the UK have continued to fluctuate as organisations of all sizes absorb the changes afforded by the recent reforms across the apprenticeship sector. However, positive recruitment signs up and down the country in the last quarter indicate that more and more employers are returning to apprenticeships to support business growth and skills challenges within their organisation.
In 2009 the college launched their apprenticeship business, supporting ten apprentices with basic business administration skills. In the decade since, growth and development has been constant, with 1,460 apprentices supported by the award-winning apprenticeship team in the last academic year. The two clear intentions of the team in 2009 still hold firm ten years on. Head of Apprenticeship & Business Development at Salford City College, Allan Milne, explained: “When we first started out we aimed to enable social mobility and economic prosperity for individuals across the area. Apprenticeships provide people with real skills and qualifications that enable successful careers. “Secondly, it was, and still is, a responsibility of the college to provide skills development for businesses aligned to their demands. From one apprenticeship programme in 2009, the team now deliver over 70 different apprenticeship schemes across seven different sectors.”
Not only has growth across the business been exceptional, so has the quality of the apprenticeship service provided. Both employers and apprentices have rated the programmes extremely high. The 2019 independent employer survey, conducted by the Education and Skills Funded Agency presented a satisfaction score of 93.5%. This score was a massive achievement for the college as it was higher than any other college provider in Greater Manchester. Statistics in the latest apprenticeship survey carried out indicated excellent levels of satisfaction with the experience they received, providing an average feedback score of 9.33 out of 10 for the quality of service provided. The college not only focuses on apprenticeship delivery, they also target the local community. In order to enable local people to benefit from the social mobility and economic benefits afforded by apprenticeships, one of the key services provided by the team is a free of charge apprenticeship recruitment service. Working with over 450 employers, the outstanding team provide the highest quality support, finding and placing the best talent into apprenticeship opportunities.
For more information on how you can work with Salford City College, contact the team on 0161 631 5000 www.salfordcc.ac.uk
