Job seekers and employers in Gloucestershire received a boost on March 22, when over 1,000 people attended an Apprenticeship Information Evening at Gloucestershire College
With the first Apprenticeship Levy payments scheduled for next month, the event provided an opportunity for 32 local companies looking to hire apprentices to meet candidates of all ages.
The Gloucestershire College Gloucester Campus was a hive of activity as guests networked with employers in six industry zones. The GC Business Hub team were also on hand to provide advice to potential recruiters to assist them in screening applications on the night.
Employers at the event included construction and engineering firms: Clarkson Evans, Complete Utilities, Spirax Serco, Poeton and Leoni; financial businesses: Hazlewoods and St James Place; healthcare companies: Flexicare and Gloucestershire NHS Trusts; as well as catering and hospitality venues, Calcot Manor, The Patisserie Box and Dumbleton Hall Hotel.
Julie Tegg, Head of Work Based Learning at the College was delighted that the event was such a success. She said:
“Over 500 potential apprentices and their families came along to find out more about the wealth of opportunities available to them around the county, and we received well over 100 applications for the live apprenticeship vacancies we promoted on the night.
“The popularity of the evening reflects how an increasing number people of all ages are recognising the benefits of apprenticeships and choosing this route as a way to build a career.
“And with the apprenticeship levy coming into force in April, the companies who attended the event were able to scope out the talent pool available to them, as well as promoting themselves as high quality employers.”
Engineering firm, Leoni were at the event to recruit for their engineering apprenticeship vacancy. Brian Cutts said: “We were blown away by the level of participation throughout the event and encouraged by the number and quality of many candidates.
“The evening gave us a chance to advise GCSE and A Level students, and their parents about our apprenticeships, which offer mentoring and coaching to help candidates establish a successful start to a career in the manufacturing sector.”
Russell Parker from G4S attended the event to meet potential Professional Services apprentices. He said: “The evening was very insightful and worthwhile, and the positive motivation the team of GC Business Consultants exuded was inspirational!
“We are now waiting to see what response we get to our vacancies and look forward to working with GC throughout the apprenticeship process.”
Cyber Security Associates Ltd will be hiring an I.T apprentice through the College. Operations Manager, Annys Samuel said: “It was very interesting for us to meet prospective apprentices and interact with them. The Levy will not affect us as we are under the threshold, but it does make it a lot more cost effective for us (to hire apprentices) and so in preparation we will be looking to recruit an additional apprentice post May.”
Bee Pellaux, from Cheltenham based catering company The Patisserie Box, was looking to recruit an Apprentice Pastry Chef to join her team, which specialises in creating ready-to-serve desserts for the hospitality and leisure industries.
She said: “It was a very successful evening. It was great to meet prospective apprentices face to face and we were encouraged by the number of people that wanted to become a pastry chef. It was great to have something like this organised for us.”
If your company is interested in hiring an apprentice or needs advice on how the Apprenticeship Levy will affect you, the Business Hub at GC has a dedicated and experienced team of consultants to answer your questions and help you find the right apprentice for your business. Contact them on: 01452 563403
