Marvin OnumonuWiltshire College & University Centre exceeded its target to recruit 100 apprentices in 100 days, securing pledges for 116 apprentices and signing up 35 new employers.
The campaign launched in Apprenticeships Week in February focused on encouraging local businesses to support staff training and recruit new talent from the area.
Martin Reeves, director of business development at Wiltshire College & University Centre, said: “I am absolutely delighted we’ve exceeded our target and the most pleasing thing is the number of conversations we’ve had with new employers who didn’t realise how many tools we have at our disposal to help them upskill their workforce or identify new talent.
“Our five business relationship managers have worked tirelessly to get out and visit companies throughout the 100 days to talk about how our apprenticeships are not just for young people starting out on their career but for any age.”
Facilities management company Mitie in Corsham is one of the employers involved.
Mitie in Corsham supported the campaign and has five apprentices with the college, with Kyeisha Adams, soft services team leader at Mitie, studying an apprenticeship in operations management.
Adams said: “We believe in investing in people and working with the college helps us to help our staff reach their potential.
“The great thing about learning on the job through an apprenticeship is that you’re getting real life experience, you’re experiencing what would actually happen in the job rather than in a classroom – and you are getting paid while you are learning.”
Meiyume, a cosmetics company in Trowbridge, now has 16 apprentices with the college.
Janna Baker, talent and reward manager at Meiyume, said: “They are willing to come out into the business as often as we need so they are highly visible and flexible.
“We started with eight apprentices in our warehouse doing supervisor and team leader apprenticeships, and after they started I had more managers asking me how they could get their staff involved.
“It is great for the business because it has made our staff more agile in their thinking and more invested in their work.”
Rebecca Ponting, business relationship managers at Wiltshire College & University Centre, said: “It has really opened up more conversations and we are talking to them about T Levels, where students combine classroom learning with work placements, they are coming in to talk to our students and we are discussing creating new apprenticeships to meet their needs.
“Many of them didn’t realise that with our professional and health apprenticeships they can start at any time of the year.
“It means we can tailor programmes that deliver the skills and training they need for companies of any size and it dovetails with their work responsibilities to minimise the impact on the business.”
Reeves added that more young people are choosing apprenticeships as an alternative to university.
He said: “They are landing more with young people because they are a viable alternative, there is far less cost involved, they can stay in Wiltshire, they are straight into the workplace and earning a salary and they are building a network of contacts within a company.
“I’m delighted this campaign has brought us into contact with so many new employers, as well as deepened the conversations we have with existing ones, and we are going to be building on this momentum.”
