North West Apprentice Conference
On 27 February 2009 over 100 people came together for the North West Apprentice Conference organised between North West Employers and regional leaders’ forum 4NW.
The aim of the conference was to raise awareness and commitment to increasing the number of apprentices in the North West and to stimulate action in authorities through providing practical case studies from different authorities and explain the support and funding available.
Key speakers included Ian Watmore, Permanent Secretary for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, and newly appointed Chief Executive of the Football Association; Councillor Ron Round, Leader of Knowsley Council; Councillor Alan Dean, Chair of North West Employers; Councillor Ian Marks, Leader of Warrington Council and Chair of 4NW Economic Development Sub Committee; Alan Manning, North West Regional Secretary of the TUC; David Way and Liz Smith from the National Apprentice Service (NAS); and Liz McQue, Chief Executive of North West Employers and Public Sector Apprentice Champion.
We were honoured that Beverley Hughes, North West Minister, sent a video message to show her support and emphasise the importance of supporting apprenticeships and she said:
“I am extremely pleased at the level of interest shown in apprenticeships by local authorities and it’s now time to get on with the job of making things happen.
“Apprenticeships are key to the vision of improving the skills of the people who live and work in the North West. Sharing ideas and practice about how local authorities can increase take up of apprenticeships is an important part of making that vision a reality.”
Local councils in each of the North West’s sub regions (Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire) offer apprenticeships in roles from accounting and IT to health and social care, and are looking to expand this further.
Representatives from Knowsley Council’s apprenticeship scheme, which found employment for 100 local young people in less than 100 days, and Lancashire County Council, which created 200 local apprenticeships, presented case studies, sharing their best practice.
The conference also supported the work of the Joint Economic Commission for the North West, Chaired by Beverley Hughes MP. It was set up to ensure that the region’s economy emerges from the current downturn stronger than before, and has made a commitment to increasing the number of apprenticeships in the North West.
Councillor Ian Marks, Chair of regional leaders’ forum 4NW’s Economic Development sub group, comments:
“The conference’s main aim is to increase the quality and number of apprentices in the North West, particularly those in the public sector. The Government is committed to a target of a quarter of a million starts by 2020, and local authorities and other public sector employers have a major part to play in helping turn these numbers into real opportunities for the region’s young people, and for those adult workers looking to retrain.
“The North West is proud to be leading the way in another crucial field which puts those who live and work in the region first. Our regional leaders’ forum, 4NW, was established in July 2008 in anticipation of November’s Sub National Review. Government legislation will soon establish Regional Leaders’ Boards like ours, which will be responsible for working with regional development agencies to develop regions’ single strategies, permanently.” Apprenticeships will play a central role in the Government’s plans for growing skills in the economy, and it has set a target for 400,000 apprentices in England by 2020. This would mean over 250,000 starts and 190,000 successful completions, with more than one in every five young people in the North West undertaking an apprenticeship in the next decade.
Councillor Alan Dean, Chair of North West Employers comments:
“Local authorities have a huge contribution to make to increase the number of apprentices in the region; local government employs over 300,000 people in the North West and councils are often the largest local employer. North West Employers offers support and advice to all the local authorities in the North West and this conference is an important part of sharing the excellent examples of apprentice schemes that already exist. We need to be creative and bold in the way we think about apprenticeships and the examples from Knowsley and Lancashire show how councils can use their community leadership role to influence and support other local employers to take on apprentices. Local Government in the North West has a great track record of investing in the skills of the workforce, and it’s even more important in the current economic climate that we continue to invest in skills.” The Learning and Skills Council’s Regional Director, John Korzeniewski, concludes:
“The Government is committed to increasing the number of public sector apprenticeships, and has just announced the creation of more than 20,000 new apprenticeship places in the public sector in 2009-2010.
“Here in the North West apprentices make a huge contribution to a diverse range of organisations, and this event will showcase the real benefits that employing an apprentice can bring.” Beverley Hughes’ video message, a podcast, presentations and video clips and a summary from those who attended the day can be found below.
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Tom GoodwinPresentationsSummary of EvaluationsApprentice Conference PodcastApprentice Conference Video Clips