Employers to receive £850,000 of Apprenticeships training!

The Government has awarded £850,000 to JHP Training, one the of UK’s leading vocational training providers in the Midlands to deliver apprenticeships training. Twelve organisations have won a share of £7m of Government funding to set up new Apprenticeship Training Associations (ATAs) and Group Training Associations (GTAs). These models are aimed at helping a range of organisations especially small business a three year period of three years, with particular focus on 16-18 year olds. National training provider JHP Training are partnering with specialist logistics training provider TTP (Target Training Projects) to deliver logistics apprenticeships to local employers in the West Midlands, having identified a skills gap within this sector. This partnership, better know as the Logistics Apprenticeships Training Academy (LATA), provide 1,800 apprenticeship placements and targeting 16-18 year olds in a bid to combat some of the Country’s economic downturn and the nation’s poor perception of the logistics industry. In today’s modern economic climate, the logistics sector remains one which still suffers a stereotypical and traditional image of being in dirty factory surroundings with no scope for progression. In the West Midlands, the logistics industry employs 10% (260,000) of its regional workforce and generates over 12,000 employment opportunities per year; this is £5.7bn of the regions output. The logistics sector is a major player in work sectors, but is the sector with the lowest number of Level 3 and 4 qualifications and only 2% of all the UK’s Apprentices choosing to enter this sector. LATA’s mission is to change this for good by raising the aspirations of young people considering a career in logistics, and in effect changing the perception of the logistics industry as employers for young apprentices. Catherine Fisher, Skills Director of JHP Training said: “This is an exciting opportunity for JHP Training and we are enthusiastic about our partnership with TTP, especially in combining our 25-years’ expertise of delivering apprenticeships along with TTP’s specialism in the logistics training sector. This funding will offer an excellent support and progression option for young people across the West Midlands area, and plays a vital role in the re-growth of today’s economy and youngsters. I am confident of the success that LATA will bring to employers and individuals within the West Midlands.” ATAs are based on an Australian programme, and are companies or partnerships acting as a recruitment agency, placing apprentices with “host” employers. If the host business is unable to continue supporting the apprentice for any reason, they return to the ATA and are re-assigned to another business. GTAs were established back in the 1960s and are primarily aimed at small and medium businesses that may not have the capacity to conduct their own training. A GTA enable them to share expertise with other employers and develop their own dedicated training. The nine ATAs and three GTAs recently awarded Government funding will provide over 3,000 apprenticeship starts this academic year. The Apprenticeship places offered by these new associations will make a significant contribution to the Governments’ target of 250,000 people starting an apprenticeship this year and overall ambition on Apprenticeship numbers over the next three years.

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