Croydon College, the largest provider of apprenticeships in South London, will be continuing to invest in helping local people into employment with the announcement that it has been approved as a Kickstart Gateway.
This means it can assist employers and businesses looking to enhance their workforce via the government employment scheme which gives the opportunity for young people to learn new skills to help kickstart their careers.
With unemployment rising among young people and many looking to reskill in light of the coronavirus pandemic, it has never been more important for businesses to help the next generation succeed. As a Gateway organisation Croydon College is fully equipped to work hand-in-hand with organisations to ensure they successfully navigate the process, hire the right people and receive the funding from the government to create a six-month job placement for them.
And with National Apprenticeship Week this week (8-14 February), the College has appointed a new Interim Head of Apprenticeships, Simon Friend, who will be leading the College’s week of virtual events, including exhibiting at the virtual National Apprenticeship Fair on 10 February.
The week of virtual events hosted by the College will enable Croydon residents to learn more about Apprenticeships and there will also be the opportunity to meet local employers and hear about some of the vacancies currently available.
Simon Friend, Croydon College’s Interim Head of Apprenticeships, said: “As the College of choice in the area, we knew straight away it was essential for us to become a Kickstart Gateway in order to provide the support young people who are aged 16-24, on universal credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, need if they are to overcome the current challenges they face.
“The scheme enables us to bring together the huge potential of every single one of these young people and employers who are looking to enhance their current workforce. Without question, we see this as a ‘win win’ for both parties. The Kickstart Scheme will enable employers to engage with young people and provide them with job placements, where they can develop essential skills while making a meaningful contribution to the businesses employing them.
“We anticipate many of these young people being offered Apprenticeships with these employers at the end of their placements, by which time they will have been able to demonstrate just how much value they can add to that business.”
To find out more about the Kickstart scheme, please visit croydon.ac.uk/kickstart If you’d like to attend one of our free virtual events during National Apprenticeship Week, please click here.
