CITB announces boost in funding for apprenticeships
2nd April 2019
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) announced in March that it was set to provide a significant boost in funding for employers taking on construction apprentices.
From 1st April, funding provided by the CITB for employers, will increase by 30% from current rates, with £2,500 per year for attendance grants and £2,500 for companies that have successfully supported an apprentice in completing their training.
This boost is a huge step in the right direction for apprenticeships, following a period of falling apprenticeship numbers within the construction industry. The cause of this has arguably been the lack of Government funding for employers outside the scope of the Apprenticeship levy.
The CITB hopes to increase the number of apprenticeships being completed and new talent entering into the workforce, as research has found that the construction industry will have 168,500 roles to be filled over the coming five years, without which the industry will struggle to remain productive.
Scaffolding apprenticeship schemes
The team at SIMIAN is experienced in supporting both apprentices and their employing companies throughout the apprenticeship scheme, including providing guidance and advice on the financial side of carrying out an apprenticeship.
As regular visitors to our website will know, SIMIAN’s new CISRS centres in London (Leytonstone), Weston (Somerset) and Llangefni (North Wales) are gearing up to support our existing Scaffolding Apprenticeship intake at our Warrington HQ and we plan to support around 300 apprenticeships per year when all of these sites become fully operational. The first new Apprenticeship cohort at Leytonstone for almost two years begins in early April and additional cohorts will begin their journey on a monthly basis, thereafter.
Speaking of the drive to increase the number of Scaffolding Apprenticeships that SIMIAN deliver, Dave Randles, Operations Director, said:
“We’re really excited that the partnerships we have formed with Dudley College of Technology and Weston College, who are both OFSTED rated as outstanding providers, have opened the door for non-apprenticeship-levy paying employers to resume employing scaffolding apprentices. The industry continues to feel the effects of a long-standing skills shortage and we’re delighted to be playing our part in helping the industry to address its needs. Apprenticeships are available at all of our core CISRS centres, so our clients across the UK now have an increased option for qualifying their workforces.”
If you are looking to hire an apprentice, or you want to start your career in scaffolding by taking part in an apprenticeship scheme, contact the Simian team today to get started by emailing apprenticeships@simian-risk.com or calling 0345 602 2418.