Agenda item

Officer: Shifa Mustafa

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.    Endorse the activity being undertaken to promote and increase the number of apprentices in Croydon; in particular the 2019 100 Apprentices in 100 Days campaign; and

2.    Note changes to apprenticeship rates of pay to bring it into line with London Living Wage.

The Cabinet Member for Economy & Jobs gave Members an overview of apprenticeships, noting that the scheme gave people 16 years and over practical experience and was not just for young people starting in employment, but also could assist people in changing careers. The Cabinet Member informed Members that in Croydon only 20% of apprentices had been aged 16 to 18.

Bernadette Aze and Nafiza Chowdhury, apprentices at Croydon Council, spoke of their experience of apprenticeships and noted that often young people were encouraged at college to follow the traditional path of attending university. It was recognised by the guests that the university route was not always the best option and that young people should be informed of alternative career paths, such as apprenticeships.

Nafiza and Bernadette spoke of their experience of being supported by Croydon Works to prepare for their interviews and receiving feedback which gave them the confidence to apply for apprenticeships. They felt that undertaking apprenticeships had been fantastic experiences for them as it had given them practical experience to support them in their careers, and they requested the support of the council to spread awareness of the apprenticeship scheme to support other young people.

Members thanked Nafiza and Bernadette for their contribution and for being inspirational to other young people in talking about the opportunities apprenticeships provided.

The Cabinet Member noted that the Apprenticeship Levy could be used to support Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) to have apprentices in their organisations. As such, the council would contact all business rate payers of the opportunity and the Cabinet Member asked that councillors also speak to local businesses.

Within Croydon Council, Members were informed that almost 50 apprentices were employed, supported and had mentors. These apprentices represented the local community with a number from BME background, all ages, and 15% with declared special needs or disabilities. Due to the success of the council’s scheme the authority had been awarded two awards for its support and dedication to diversity, and members were given two case studies of apprentices who were being supported by the council; Anna Smith and Alexander Gayle. 

Members were informed that the next apprenticeship launch event would be taking place on 21 August 2019 at BoxPark and would be hosted by the Deputy Mayor who would speak about her experiences. Members were requested to share information about this event to all relevant parties. To further develop apprentices in Croydon, the Croydon Apprenticeship Academy had been formed which was made up of employers and council officers. The Academy was already speaking to businesses, and many companies in Croydon had already pledged to be part of the scheme.

Members noted that the decision to pay apprentices the London Living Wage which enabled people of all ages to fully experience all the opportunities an apprenticeship offers. It was recognised that apprenticeships were changing the life journeys of many young people positively and the scheme was supported.

It was noted by some Members that it was recommended that 2.3% of an organisations’ workforce should be apprentices which would equate to a shortfall of 100 apprentices. In response the Cabinet Member stated that the ‘100 Apprentices in 100 Days’ initiative sought to increase the number of apprenticeships in London, and that the council was seeking to engage with local employers to support more apprenticeships. This engagement work had been successful and had seen many companies already pledge positions ahead of the launch in August 2019.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member stated that the Apprenticeship Levy was complicated for some organisations, and as such the council was seeking to use unused money to fund training. Additionally to support SMEs, the council would pay 100% of training costs to further enable apprenticeships across all sectors. The council recognised that it was important to make best use of the apprenticeship levy.

It was noted by Members that paying the London Living Wage made a real difference to apprentices, especially in relation to the cost of living, and enabled people to change careers if they wanted to. By supporting apprentices the council was supporting young people to take the pathway to employment which suited them best, and enabling them to choose their future. However, it was recognised that further work on improving parental buy-in and school support was required to make apprenticeships a more viable opportunity for many.

Members wished the apprentices all the best for their futures and thanked officers for all their work in making apprenticeships in Croydon a success.

The Leader informed Members and guests that the video clip which was part of the Cabinet Members presentation would be made available online to further promote the benefits of apprenticeships.

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions.

RESOLVED: To

1.    Endorse the activity being undertaken to promote and increase the number of apprentices in Croydon; in particular the 2019 100 Apprentices in 100 Days campaign; and

2.    Note changes to apprenticeship rates of pay to bring it into line with London Living Wage.