A NEW government-backed scheme has been launched to match construction employers and prospective craft apprentices.
Run by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and funded by the Department for the Economy, Apprenticeship Connect aims to "find, match, hire" young people for the build sector, and is giving employers the opportunity to claim up to £8,000 of funding.
The scheme, in collaboration with employer and apprentice service provider Workplus, will ease the process for employers wishing to promote their craft apprenticeship opportunities by helping with promotion and short-listing. It will also help apprentices find craft apprenticeship opportunities with construction employers.
Apprenticeship Connect (NI) find, match, hire is a vital part of CITB NI’s three-year careers strategy called Build Your Career, and the process to get involved is simple:
• Find: Employers can register their opportunity between now and January 8 at https://bit.ly/AppConnectNI while aspiring craft apprentices can apply via the same web address from January 18 to February 26.
• Match: From March 8 onwards employers will be able to match themselves with top local talent and invite them to attend for interview
• Hire: By the end of April, employers will be able to hire a suitable apprentice and claim up to £8,000 which is paid at different stages throughout the apprenticeship term.
Barry Neilson, chief executive of CITB NI, said: “We can provide employers and craft apprentices with a scheme that takes the hassle out of the promotion and short-listing process that will help employers promote their craft apprenticeship opportunities in 2021 and help apprentices find them - all for no fee.
“We want to help employers realise the importance of apprenticeships, their value and help them find and recruit a young person into an apprenticeship role.
“We also want to highlight construction apprenticeships as an excellent career choice for young people, and to encourage both employers and young people, who are considering a career in construction and a construction apprenticeship, to get involved in this fantastic scheme.”
Economy Minister Diane Dodds said: “The Apprentice Challenge Fund was designed to give those working in apprenticeships an opportunity to develop and test new and innovative models of apprenticeship development, recruitment and delivery. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this project.”
Workplus director Richard Kirk added: “This scheme will allow construction employers and aspiring apprentices to come together on one platform, making it easier for employers to promote opportunities and potential apprentices to discover them, giving apprentices a single place to apply.
“While this has been a bleak time for many companies, we hope that this scheme will convey a positive message – that there are opportunities in a broad spectrum of roles for young people and those wishing to retrain; roles in which they can learn new skills, develop professionally and continue their education.”
