A NEW apprenticeship service is being set up to serve York and North and East Yorkshire.

The project is intended to increase employer participation in apprenticeships, by raising awareness and providing support to employers to improve the skills of their existing workforce through the provision of accredited and funded qualifications and training.

The £2 million European Social Fund (ESF) contract, awarded by the Skills Funding Agency and through the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), will be led and managed by the Grimsby Institute Group and will involve more than ten delivery partners throughout the region.

It is planned that the scheme will be delivered through a consortium which includes York College, York Fitness and Leisure Ltd, Selby College and Bishop Burton College.

Gill Alton, chief executive of the Grimsby Institute Group, said: “Employers using the service will be able to use the single point of contact to learn how apprenticeships can boost productivity and bring many other benefits to their business.”

The service will be launched next month and will ensure employers using the system are supported in identifying training needs aligned to their business objectives.

Andy Goudie, executive director of projects at the Grimsby Institute Group, who led the bid for the delivery of the contract, said: “This is a real opportunity for small and medium-sized employers across the region to be supported in developing their training needs.

“We are aiming to work with more than 1,000 businesses over the next two years to support more than 1,300 adult workers to access training that leads to an apprenticeship.”

The service will support the LEP’s key growth sectors to secure the skilled labour to build sustainable employment and growing economy.

Dr Ruth Smith, chair of the LEP’s skills board, said: “Apprenticeship growth is at the heart of our plans for a prosperous economy. We’re pleased that this project by Grimsby Institute will contribute to that ambition by providing a service which funds training for employees and develops new apprenticeships.”

Meanwhile another ESF project will help young people who are not in education, employment or training. Called Improve Your Prospects, it will run in York, Selby and Craven,and is aimed at giving young people the boost they need to get involved with community-based activities and break the cycle of unemployment, low prospects and poor life chances.

Participants will work towards an accredited award or qualification,which helps employability, but more importantly increases the young person’s self esteem, confidence and soft skills.

The Improve Your Prospects programme will involve group learning as well as mentors working one to one with each young person, to individual learning plans. This personalised approach allows each young person to work at their own pace and achieve their goals.

Nicola Brown, programme manager, said: “We will be supporting young people who have been written off and are in danger of becoming isolated from their community.” Young people who will benefit will be identified in schools and local community groups.