The event brought together employers, training and apprenticeship providers, and decision-makers to bust some of the myths about apprenticeships and to hear from businesses who have benefited from them, as well as apprentices themselves.
It was also an opportunity to discuss some of the barriers to recruitment and how to find the skills needed to support business growth.
Coventry City Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, told the packed room: “This is all about developing pathways for Coventry’s young people.
“Apprenticeships help our city develop home-grown talent that stays local and contributes to the future of our economy and our education pipeline and skills economy. Apprenticeships open doors, and employers’ contributions are absolutely vital.”
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, added: “Our city is being regenerated to build the jobs of the future. It’s not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about people and our civic society.
“Apprenticeships are a great way to bring skills into business, with the government offering incentives that I hope to see help new talent thrive and reduce unemployment across our city.”
Jo Glover, who runs Coventry BID, and apprentice Jaycee Snow talked about the mutual benefits of taking on apprentices, comments that were mirrored by Chris Neill and Phoebe Turnell from Rehab Hair Salon.
Both businesses have worked with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training to support and train their apprentices.
Chris said: “Apprentices buy into the company’s vision and will understand the details of how you want your business to operate, right down to the softer skills needed. They’ll also bring fresh, new ideas.”
Rob Ally, who runs XL Motors in Coventry, also contributed to the event. He said: “Without apprentices, I wouldn’t have been able to grow my business but it’s not just that, we also have a responsibility to bring each individual through the system because they are the future for all of our businesses and for the city.”
Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, told the audience that it was a great time to take on an apprentice.
He said: “The Government has announced some changes that mean there are more opportunities and more flexibility when it comes to bringing through an apprentice in your business. I’d encourage any employer to look at this in terms of their skills needs right now but also in terms of growth and succession planning.”
Coventry BID apprentice Jaycee added: “If you’ve never thought about taking an apprentice on, please consider it because it offers so much opportunity to us, and we can bring so much value to a business.”
To find out more about apprenticeships and skills in Coventry contact [email protected] or [email protected]
