Ann Cochrane, Organisational Development Business Partner
Minutes:
Ann Cochrane, Organisational Development Business Partner, explained the council’s apprenticeship programme, which allowed participants to work and acquire work-based skills, while at the same time earning a wage that was equivalent to, or more than, minimum wage. Participants worked four days a week and went to college on the fifth day. The qualifications they received at the end of the programme were nationally recognised. There were a wide variety of different subjects, from office based work to trades like electrics and plumbing. The programmes varied in length from 12 months for the office-based programme to 48 months for electricians. The programme was supported by the Apprenticeship team, whose role was to support and empower participants. Since the scheme had started in 2005, participants had achieved 44 higher qualifications, 124 had fully qualified, with 73 going straight into work. 36 apprenticeships were available right now, the deadline for applications was 30 April 2012.
The criteria for participating in the programme were: being at least 16 years of age and a Southwark resident, having achieved grades A-D in English and Maths at GCSE level (or having an equivalent adult literacy and numeracy qualification. For some programmes grades A-C were needed), being able to work full-time, and not having a qualification at degree level already.
Responding to questions from the floor, Ann Cochrane said that her team worked closely with the housing, major works and planning teams, in order to identify placement opportunities for apprentices. In the major contract the council awarded, one apprenticeship place for every 1 million pounds spent was stipulated. Apart from the minimum criteria outlined above, applicants also underwent a careful selection process, including assessments at colleges and interviews. For those applicants who fell short of the required criteria, the team would signpost alternative routes of receiving the qualifications required to enter the programme (such as the programmes run at the Thomas Carlton Centre). The team had been working successfully to encourage other organisations in the borough to take on Southwark apprentices. Some had even started their own apprenticeship schemes. The council also provided the Youth Fund to help young people with their tuition fees, and so stay in education. The team’s challenge for the future was to reach out to more companies, including smaller companies to take on apprentices.
For further information contact Ann Cochrane, Organisational Development Business Partner, 020 7525 1490 or email: Ann.Cochrane@southwark.gov.uk
Councillors commented that they needed to have regard to whether a company would provide apprenticeships, when awarding contracts, and suggested that the community council should write to the cabinet member responsible and that any new or replacement contracts with the council should take the provision of apprenticeships into account.
The chair said he would raise this as a community council question at the next Council Assembly meeting.