Celebrating apprenticeships
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Southampton’s largest public sector employers celebrated the achievements of apprentices employed on the Southampton Skills Development Zone (SSDZ), at a special event on Monday April 18.
The SSDZ – a city-wide initiative led by Southampton Solent University, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southampton City Council, Southampton PCT, Job Centre Plus and the Skills funding Agency – focuses on providing enhanced routes into jobs and further education for the workless and helping local employers address their skill and workforce development.
Hosted by Southampton Solent University, the evening recognised the hard work of all the apprentices employed through the SSDZ, and awarded certificates to those who had completed their frameworks.
Special awards were presented to James Kellet, who worked for NHS Southampton City during his apprenticeship, and Linda Budd, who works for Southampton Universities Hospitals NHS Trust. They were nominated by their managers, who felt they had done exceptionally well and travelled the furthest in their learning journey.
Apprenticeships have been made a priority entry route for learning in the coalition Government’s strategy on skills, and carry benefits for both the apprentice, who gains skills, and the employer, who is able to ensure the business has the skilled workforce it needs for the future.
Since the launch, 64 apprentices have been employed through the SSDZ and 15 have been offered full time jobs.
Attendees at the event included Chief Executives from the SSDZ partner organisations, the apprentices and their managers/mentors, and representatives from the National Apprentice Service.
The Skills Development Zone is currently delivering 3 creative projects to help get people into work:
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Offering co-ordinated employment opportunities for low-skilled, unemployed people from the most disadvantaged areas of the City, and providing work trials and pre-employment training
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Apprenticeships for young and long term unemployed citizens from Southampton city within the partners of the SSDZ
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Retaining graduates through paid internships, and recruitment tools.
For further information contact the Media Office on +44 (0)23 8031 9040