College vows ‘100 Apprenticeships in 100 days’

 Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) and partners are launching an ambitious campaign to recruit 100 new apprentices in 100 days.  The Newcastle-under-Lyme 100 in 100 Campaign is targeting employers and young people across Newcastle-under-Lyme.  The College and partners aim to hit the target by recruiting both employers to provide Apprenticeship vacancies and young people to start an Apprenticeship.

The ambitious campaign will launch on Friday 15 March, at the College’s Knutton Lane campus during National Apprenticeships Week and run until 22 June 2013.  Over 2,000 employers from Newcastle-under-Lyme have been invited to the event which will feature talks from industry experts and aims to provide local employers with the accurate and impartial advice.

Visitors to the launch event will benefit from talks from
•    Paul Farrelly MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, who is spearheading the campaign.
•    Vicky Boulton-Clarke Head of Employer Engagement at NULC, who will provide local employers with an overview of the campaign and the services available to local businesses.
•    Joanne Bradburn from Barclays Banks PLC, who will introduce their campaign, The Big Conversation, to encourage business banking customers to take on an Apprentice
•    Local employer Kerry Bonfiglio-Bains, who will talk employers through her experience of employing an Apprentice through NULC.

The College currently works with over 400 employers across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire but found that the number of apprentices employed by businesses within the Newcastle-under-Lyme borough was significantly lower than other areas.

Vicky Boulton-Clarke commented: “With that in mind, the College has launched the 100 in 100 campaign to raise the awareness of Apprenticeships across Newcastle-under-Lyme.  We will be specifically targeting employers in Newcastle-under-Lyme, encouraging them to pledge their support to the campaign and improving the employment prospects for young people in the borough.”

In addition, the College in partnership with local training provider Martec, the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and the Stoke and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will try and address the youth unemployment issues locally.

Vicky added: “With skills shortages across UK businesses, Apprenticeships deliver skills designed around your business needs providing the skilled workers you need for the future.  Apprenticeships can also help you develop the specialist skills you need to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in your sector.” 

Paul Farrelly MP has already pledged his support to the campaign by writing to businesses in his constituency inviting them to the launch event.  Paul said: “I’m delighted to be working with such a proactive education establishment as Newcastle-under-Lyme College.  The driving force of the campaign is to encourage local businesses to find out more about Apprenticeships and the real business benefits in order to tackle the skills shortages in the area and the wider unemployment issues.  The 100 in 100 campaign can benefit both local employers and youngsters alike and I would urge local employers no matter what your industry to come along to the launch event.”

If you are interested in attending the launch event on Friday 15 March or would like further information about Apprenticeships contact the Employer Engagement Team on 01782 254376 or email employers@nulc.ac.uk.