Social Media Campaign #Yes2Apprenticeships Launches

22.09.14

Apprentices across Leeds City Region are being urged to back a new social media campaign.

The #Yes2Apprenticeships push encourages young people to explain why they’ve chosen to start an apprenticeship.

Led by Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Apprenticeship Hub Programme, the campaign is running on Twitter, Facebook and Vine until the end of October.

It seeks to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships to encourage more young people to consider them as a smart career option, and to inspire more small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to recruit apprentices.

Apprentices throughout the City Region are eligible to take part by using the #Yes2Apprenticeships hashtag. For more information and the chance to win an iPad Mini go to http://apprenticeship-hubs.co.uk/yes2apprenticeships/

Young people can also find out about the latest apprenticeship vacancies available now in their local area. Go to http://apprenticeship-hubs.co.uk/apply-now/ for opportunities in Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Craven, Selby and Harrogate, Wakefield and York.

Stephanie Burras, Chair of the LEP’s Employment and Skills Panel, said: "Apprenticeships are a smart career option providing young people with the skills they need to successfully break into the job market. There are opportunities to start apprenticeships right now, with vacancies available across Leeds City Region.

"The raising of the participation age by the government for pupils who left Year 11 this summer means young people have to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Apprenticeships are a valuable part of the range of post 16 options available."

The LEP Apprenticeship Hub programme offers a free and independent advice service to make it easier for SMEs to recruit an apprentice. The hubs are based in Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire (comprising Craven, Harrogate and Selby), Wakefield and York.

So far, 1,000 SMEs have signed up to take on an apprentice through the programme, which also includes two apprenticeship training agencies (ATAs) in Leeds and Bradford. The ATAs are separate companies set up by the local authorities with local colleges to employ apprentices on behalf of businesses - to offer a real incentive to those who haven’t employed an apprentice before or who don’t have the human resources capability in-house.

The hubs and ATAs are targeting SMEs that have not previously offered apprenticeships at all or during the last year. Funding for the programme has been secured by the LEP through the government's City Deal initiative as part of wider moves to tackle youth unemployment and boost business growth.

His Royal Highness The Duke of York KG backed the initiative when he visited Leeds earlier this year to hear about the launch and success of the programme during National Apprenticeship Week.