Businesses offered £5,000 to take on apprentices
Staffordshire County Council are encouraging businesses to take on an apprentice and receive £5,000 to put towards their Covid recovery.
At a time where businesses are looking to revitalise and future proof their operation, more and more people have begun to consider onboarding apprentices. In fact, 72 per cent of employers reported that they will be taking on more apprentices this year and 70 per cent agree that apprentices will be critical to recover from Covid-19.
Up-skilling staff or taking on apprentices to grow your skill base and future-proof your business for the future is becoming essential. Apprentices bring new ideas, stick around for longer than non-apprenticeship recruits, are extremely capable and are keen to learn and earn at the same time.
The £5,000 grant from Staffordshire County Council and the county's district and borough councils can take the pressure off the costs of recruiting and supporting an apprentice.
This grant is one of the first of its kind in the country, and is the result of Staffordshire County Council and the county 's district and borough councils pooling resources to support business recovery and growth after the pandemic, and a successful bid to the government 's Community Renewal Fund.
To be eligible for the £5,000 grant:
- Your business must be based in Staffordshire (not Stoke-on-Trent).
- You cannot have already received grant payments that equal the maximum permitted levels of subsidy
- You must be able to prove that you are trading when you apply
- Your business must be registered with Companies House and employee less than 250 people, i.e. you must be an SME and can't be a sole trader as you need to be eligible for government funding to pay for the apprenticeship training.
Grants are on a first come, first served basis.