Sixteen year old Jessica Darling is the first apprentice in Halifax to be given the gateway to a brighter future, after her new employer became the first local company to successfully secure major new government funding.
Jessica is now being given the chance to kick-start her career, after her new Calderdale-based employer, The Warrior Factory secured an Apprenticeship Grant for Employers 16-17 (AGE 16-17).
The AGE 16-17, provided by the government through the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), offers businesses a £2,500 bonus for each unemployed 16 or 17 year old they employ as an apprentice, and has enabled the martial arts and fitness centre to give Jessica the vital career break she needed.
Other businesses across Halifax have also provisionally secured this unique funding grant - prompting the NAS to now appeal to local young people aged 16-17 to register their interest in an Apprenticeship vacancy via www.apprenticeships.org.uk before Friday, March 19th.
It is hoped that the AGE 16-17 can provide more opportunities to young people in Halifax as it has done for Jessica, who will now embark on a Health and Fitness Apprenticeship at the gym, with a view to her eventually becoming a qualified personal trainer. The Warrior Factory, which is based at Gardiner Square, Hipperholme is delivering Jessica's Apprenticeship in partnership with CMS Vocational Training Ltd, an Apprenticeship training provider based in Huddersfield.
Jessica, said: "Having left school, I was worried about my future career prospects, but this opportunity has turned my life around. I'm really excited to be doing an Apprenticeship at The Warrior Factory, as it will give me the chance to gain nationally recognised qualifications and earn while I learn."
Nick Wilson, regional director for the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "It's fantastic that these new grants are providing opportunities and opening doors to talented young apprentices such as Jessica whilst providing a boost to employers in the current economic climate, which remains challenging for many. We've been overwhelmed by the level of commitment we have received about the AGE 16-17 from employers, but would now urge more 16-17 year olds to register their interest, so that they can benefit from the many Apprenticeship vacancies that have been created locally by this funding."
Iain Wright, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships,
commented: "It is great to see that our grant for businesses has worked so quickly and that the first apprentices to benefit are already beginning their new careers. Young people like Jessica will gain valuable skills and experience whilst also bringing fresh ideas, commitment and enthusiasm to the workplace. That's why we are supporting businesses to create thousands more Apprenticeship places for young people."
Apprenticeships now span a staggering 190 careers across 80 industry sectors. From traditional blue-collar roles to sectors ranging from accountancy and engineering, to construction, catering, creative industries and sport - today's Apprenticeships cover an extremely broad spectrum.
The NAS, which launched in April 2009, is fast building upon the incredible renaissance that is currently taking place within Apprenticeships. In the last decade, Apprenticeship numbers have already more than trebled, with companies of all sizes across the country waking up to the many business benefits gained from employing an apprentice. The NAS provides a comprehensive network of services and support to employers, whilst helping learners during their first steps towards finding an Apprenticeship. From a helpline to an online vacancy matching service that helps businesses find apprentices.
Anyone aged 16-17 who is interested in starting an Apprenticeship locally through the various opportunities created by the AGE 16-17, should register their details via the online vacancy matching service at www.apprenticeships.org.uk or phone 08000 150 600.
