Creating a skilled workforce
Apprenticeships are a great way of creating and
maintaining a skilled workforce which will benefit Kent.
KCC is in a unique position to be able to promote
apprenticeships and provide advice, as well as influence and
support businesses in all sectors to take on apprentices.
The vision
Our vision is to make apprenticeships the first choice for
businesses and young people.
To achieve this we aim to:
- raise awareness of the value of apprenticeships
- support businesses in Kent to offer apprenticeships
- support young people in applying for and undertaking an
apprenticeship
Our priority is to develop a system of learning that recognises
the different aspirations of young people.
So far we have:
- delivered a pioneering 14-16 vocational programme
- set up 25 Vocational Skills Centres across Kent, which have
enabled 8,500 14-16 year olds to undertake a vocational course
- delivered 1400 Apprenticeships in the last 4 years, through a
combination of strong leadership, excellent partnership working and
promotional work.
Youth unemployment
The youth unemployment figures for Kent reinforce the need for
further action, with 18-24 year olds accounting for 28.6% of all
unemployment in Kent.
The table below shows the trend for youth unemployment since the
start of the economic downturn.
|
|
March 2008
|
March 2009
|
March 2010
|
March 2011
|
|
No. 18-24 year old
claimants
|
4,300
|
8,485
|
8,905
|
7,780
|
In Kent we are well placed to meet these challenges with a
partnership between KCC, the Kent Association of Further
Education Colleges (KAFEC), the Kent Association of Training
Organisations (KATO) and the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS),
who work together under the banner of Kent Apprenticeships to
deliver a coordinated service for the people of Kent.
Support
Supporting care leavers, young offenders, young parents and
young people with disabilities and mental health problems into
apprenticeships has been a key focus for KCC for the past year
within our Vulnerable Learner
Project.