UK: Green Port Growth Programme Results in more than 100 Apprenticeships

More than 100 apprentices have been taken on by companies in the first year of the Green Port Growth Programme’s employment and skills strand aimed at raising skills and capacity in the engineering sector.

Since July last year, it has offered wage subsidies to companies located in Hull and East Riding to encourage them to take on engineering apprentices.

The programme, which is supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF), is delivered in partnership by Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

As part of the area’s successful RGF bid, it aims to deliver up to 850 engineering apprenticeships between 2012 and 2018, alongside support for up-skilling, disadvantaged groups and specific skills related to the offshore wind sector.

In the first year, 111 apprentices enrolled on the L3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Engineering Manufacture (Craft & Technician) with 71 companies in the Hull and East Riding.

Councillor Steven Bayes, Portfolio holder for Economic Regeneration, said:

“Ensuring people have the skills needed by employers in the region is key to the success of keeping those businesses and attracting others to the area. The Green Port Growth Programme is one way we are working to achieve our City Plan aim of creating more jobs for local job-seekers.”

A further 32 upskilling training packages supported by RGF were taken up by 11 Hull and East Riding companies – in line with the target of 30.

These training subsidies provide businesses with up to 50% of the total invoiced costs of training.

They have been used to progress staff in the engineering sector from Level 2 to Level 3 – the standard level for entry to university – and further to Level 4 and 5 along with other accredited training packages which enhance the employee’s skills and employability.

Dunston (Ship Repairs) Limited in Hull has praised the Green Port Growth Programme.

The company builds vessels which transport technicians to wind farms.

 Keith Clarke, Dunston’s general manager, said:

 “We have taken on an apprentice who has been here for about a year now. He has been involved with all aspects including fabrication and has learned a lot in a short time.

 “I think the apprentice scheme is definitely a good thing and a positive thing for the area because if Green Port does take off we need young people with these skills.”

The apprentice Dunston’s took on was 29-year-old Joe Williams.

He said: “I’ve been involved in fabricating, plating, welding, all sorts. It’s enhanced my skills massively. I would have struggled to get this work and experience without the apprenticeship scheme because I didn’t have the qualifications on paper. I enjoy it here and I hope to stay.”

Now the Green Port Growth Programme is starting to offer subsidies to companies to encourage them to employ people who have been unemployed for more than six months.

The scheme will be available to those businesses in Hull and East Riding in the engineering and maritime sectors within the offshore wind supply chain and will offer a 20%, 12-month wage subsidy as well as funding for training.

It will allow employers to recruit unskilled and semi-skilled people who have been without work for more than six months. The package of wage subsidy and support for training has a value of between £5,000 and £6,000 per individual.

The aim is to offer 100 wage subsidies in 2013-14 with additional subsidies in following years to achieve 750 by 2018.

Mark Jones, Hull City Council’s City Economic Development and Regeneration Manager said: “Although we originally intended to offer this particular wage subsidy to the engineering sector only, widening the opportunity to include the maritime sector involved in the offshore wind industry makes perfect sense. Hopefully this move will help to include more unemployed people in the programme and will help a key sector in this area to develop.”

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Press release, September 02, 2013; Image: ogn