�2,000 grant for growing businesses to take on an apprentice

Small and medium-sized businesses in West Yorkshire and York can now benefit from a grant of up to £2,000 to help take on an apprentice and grow their business.

The LEP’s Apprenticeship Grant for Employers supports businesses recruit young people, aged 16-24, into employment with financial support of up to £2,000 available.

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the LEP said: “Having recently conducted a business survey of over 3,000 businesses in the region, we know that businesses are ambitious to grow and take on an apprentice to enhance their productivity and retain vital skills. Supporting businesses to offer these career opportunities is part of the LEP’s overall ambition to create a strong future workforce and create more and better jobs for our young people.

“We want to make it easier for businesses to get support to help them grow and this devolved funding provides us with a unique opportunity to tailor the support available to local business needs. We have created a bespoke offer for small and medium-sized businesses looking to take on an apprentice for the first time with incentives to offer our young people an opportunity to learn new skills and earn a living wage simultaneously.”

Working with local training providers, business that take on an apprentice from 1st August 2015 can apply for funding until the programme ends on 31st December 2015. As with the national scheme, local training providers will register on behalf of businesses via the LEP website.

Councillor Box, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority said: “Developing a skilled workforce, trained and equipped to take advantage of the jobs we aim to create across the Leeds City Region is key to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ambitions and our devolutions plans.

“I am pleased therefore that at our recent meeting, the Combined Authority was able to approve the AGE scheme and agree a budget for the project, which has resulted from our first stage devolution deal with the government.

“It will open up important new apprenticeship opportunities for 16 – 24 year olds and build upon the success of schemes already in place.”

The new LEP Apprenticeship Grant replaces the national apprenticeship grant incentive for businesses in West Yorkshire and York as agreed in the first stage devolution agreement with government in March 2015 for West Yorkshire.

If you are a business in Leeds City Region and you want more information about the incentives available to take on an apprentice, call the LEP on 0113 348 1818 or visit www.the-lep.com/AGE.