Weston College continues to buck the national trend when it comes to apprenticeships, having successfully achieved more than 300 apprenticeship enrolments in just 50 days!

The campaign which aimed to counter youth unemployment, and provide new opportunities for people looking to take the next step in their career, proved to be highly successful; with opportunities created across sectors.

Companies of all sizes pledged to get involved, from global heavyweights such as GKN, to national organisations like the NHS, as well up and coming businesses, like Apache Construction.

Jayne Pashley, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator at North Somerset Council, has hired an apprentice through the campaign, she said: “ At North Somerset Council we love apprenticeships. For us, they offer a fantastic way of not only recruiting new talent, but also unlocking the future of our workforce, which we believe is key in business growth.

“The team at Weston College have supported us from start to finish, and have made the whole process really easy. I would highly recommend apprenticeships.

“We look forward to developing our apprentices and hopefully supporting many more in the future.”

John Mackeldon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise agreed, saying: “The whole apprenticeship process has been really easy, and our new apprentice has brought fresh ideas and energy to the team which has been really important in our business.”

Sir Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, added: “We continue to lead the way when it comes to apprenticeships. Apprenticeships offer everyone involved tangible benefits, from vital experience for the apprentice to employers accessing talented individuals.

“Every year we set bigger challenges, and every year we deliver. To create so many opportunities in such a short period of time, truly is incredible, so I’d like to thank our local business community who have got behind the campaign and pledged to support our community, by offering residents the opportunity to retrain, upskill or get their first taste of employment.

“Something I have been especially pleased to see, is the fact that we are working with employers of all sizes through apprenticeships – including over 300 new SMEs in 2022.

“It isn’t too late to pledge to take on an apprentice, we offer apprenticeship opportunities all year round, so we can help you with your recruitment whenever you are ready to offer an apprenticeship.”

Although the campaign is officially over, you can still hire an apprentice. Find out more about apprenticeships, by clicking here.