Manchester City Council has been named the North West’s Macro Employer of the Year at this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards.
The council was also recognised in the prestigious UK Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list, which is compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) in partnership with City & Guilds.
The list, which recognises excellence in businesses that employ apprentices, was unveiled during The Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC.
Manchester City Council has recruited 241 apprentices in a wide range of roles in the past 18 months and plans are in place to recruit more apprentices each year in future, through the council’s Apprenticeship Programme.
Through its Apprentice Revolution campaign, run in association with NAS, the council has also successfully encouraged more than 300 Manchester businesses to invest in Apprentices and plan to continue this commitment in the future, creating many more Apprenticeship opportunities city-wide.
Councillor Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Our Apprenticeship Programme and our efforts to promote Apprenticeships to local businesses demonstrate our commitment to giving residents the chance to build strong skills, as they look to embark upon a successful career. We will continue to create new opportunities for Apprentices to learn and progress with us in the future.”
Christopher Denny works for Manchester council’s South Manchester Regeneration Team and completed a one-year Apprenticeship in Business Administration this summer. He has since become an Apprenticeship Ambassador, talking to young people at schools and colleges about the city to inspire them to follow his example.
Christopher, 23, from Moss Side, said: “I had no work experience, so to do an Apprenticeship, where you learn and get qualified on the job, was brilliant for me. I know that everything I’ve learned is specifically related to what I need to do at work.”
Recruitment will continue to focus on providing new opportunities for the city’s young people and for those who were previously out of work.
Manchester City Council works in partnership with training providers The Manchester College and Manchester Solutions, together with NAS, Job Centre Plus and Connexions, to build a strong Apprenticeship model.
Karen Woodward, Interim Director of Apprenticeships at NAS, said: “The vast range of employers on our Top 100 list just goes to show the huge impact Apprenticeships have on companies of all sizes and the UK economy.
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