Apprenticeship grants of up to £3,000 are being offered to small and medium-sized businesses in Kirklees.
As part of the Local Economic Recovery Programme, Kirklees Council has accessed Gainshare funding, which it will use to offer apprenticeship grants to eligible businesses.
The Kirklees Apprenticeship Grant will help support local businesses in creating, recruiting and developing apprenticeship roles within their workforce.
The scheme seeks to overcome some of the challenges created by the pandemic through supporting the creation of new apprenticeships, skills development and opportunities for people who live in Kirklees.
Applications are now open and are invited from businesses across all industry sectors.
Clr Graham Turner, Cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “Through the Kirklees Apprenticeship Grant, we’ll be creating brand new opportunities for people who live in Kirklees to develop their skills, take their career to the next level or in an entirely new direction – while at the same time helping local businesses grow and diversify their workforce.
“Hiring an apprentice is a fantastic way to find and nurture new talent and developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce can really bolster a business for the future. It’s also an amazing way to invest in people and sink that value back into the local economy.
“This grant is all about helping people overcome some of the challenges created by the pandemic, helping to match up talented workers in need of career development with businesses in need of fresh talent.”
Grants of up to £3,000 are available to SMEs who are currently looking to employ an apprentice, or who have employed an apprentice within their workforce since February 1 2022.
SMEs who operate within priority sectors could be eligible for the full funding amount of £3,000. These priority sectors include manufacturing and engineering, creative and digital, low carbon, construction and the health sector.
All other SMEs, who do not consider themselves to operate within that priority sector, could be eligible for a grant of up to £1,500. It is a requirement of the grant that apprentices are paid the National Minimum Wage.
Applications are limited to three per organisation in priority sectors and two per organisation in all other sectors.
To allow businesses to support their apprentices with their learning and progress with their qualification, a grant of up to £1,500 is available to those in priority sectors who retain apprentices and progress them to the next level of their apprenticeship. This is for all apprenticeships up to and including level 4 and is limited to two per organisation.
The Kirklees Apprenticeship Grant runs alongside the Government’s national scheme, where businesses can apply for a separate grant of £1,000 for employing an apprentice who falls into the following categories:
- Aged 16 to 18 years old
- Under 25 years of age with an education health and care plan
- Have been in the care of their local authority
This is applied for via the Government’s national scheme and is paid for by the training provider, not by Kirklees Council.
For further information on the Kirklees Apprenticeship Grant, to check eligibility or to process an application, contact the Kirklees Council Employment and Skills Apprenticeship Team at apprenticeshipgrant@kirklees.gov.uk
