ITEC North East has received over 200 online apprenticeship applications in February for vacancies available throughout the region, breaking all previous monthly statistics. Staff based at ITEC’s Newton Aycliffe head office has seen unprecedented interest from young people keen to benefit from work-based skills, knowledge and the qualifications necessary for a successful career. This level of interest is currently being matched by local employers actively looking to recruit fresh young talent into their businesses accessing ITEC’s free recruitment services.
Young people aged between 16 and 24 are applying for vacancies in Business Administration, Customer Service, IT (Technical & User), Sales & Telesales, Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools and Team Leading & Management as the credibility of apprenticeships is receiving year on year acknowledgment.
Working with schools, academies, colleges and Connexions, the numbers of young people genuinely interested in gaining vocational qualifications is steadily increasing. Fortunately raising the profile amongst employers is seeing a comparable increase in vacancies to attract fresh new talent into local organisations.
The government’s continued support to employers with the AGE 16 – 24 Grant giving access to £1,500 has been extended for a further year to December 2013 and is proving a huge success to SME’s currently employing less than 1,000 staff.
ITEC’s Regional Business Development Manager, Karen Johns comments, “Our Business Development Team are responding to an encouraging number of local employers, especially companies based on Aycliffe Business Park who are actively recruiting apprentices, some for the first time and some who have taken apprentices successfully for a number of years.”
