Businesses in the creative, agriculture and construction industries have been urged to take advantage of new flexi-job apprenticeships to grow and recover in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The report comes after the launch of the new £7 million flexi-job apprenticeship fund, designed to support the sectors most impacted by Covid-19.
If apprenticeships could help your business grow, here’s what you need to know.
What is the flexi-job apprenticeship fund?
Apprenticeships must be at least 12 months long under existing regulations. But this means industries such as creative and agriculture cannot benefit from them as roles are often short-term and project-based.
The new fund, however, will introduce a new model, known as the flexi-job apprenticeship. This will enable apprentices to work across a range of projects and with different employers to gain the “knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be occupationally competent”.
For example, a film, TV, and theatre apprentice could work on multiple productions under a range of production companies throughout their apprenticeship.
Commenting on the scheme, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan said: “Our flexi-job apprenticeships will unleash exciting new opportunities in sectors such as the creative industries and construction where employment is increasingly flexible and project-based, while also helping larger organisations to grow starts in their supply chains, levelling up chances for people to build the life they want.”
How much can I get?
Apprenticeship agencies can apply for funding between £100,000 and £1 million to set up new flexi-job apprenticeship agencies.
Employers will then be able to hire apprentices through approved providers.
When can I start hiring apprentices?
The first apprenticeships organised through flexi-job apprenticeship agencies are expected to start in early 2022.
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