G Taylor Plumbing & Heating’s newest recruit, Ewan McKendrey, joins them as one of the hottest new prospects benefiting from Bolton’s apprentice grant for small and medium size businesses.
Ewan joins a scheme that gives employers in Bolton the chance to develop their workforce by taking on a new apprentice or upskilling existing staff thanks to the #SeeDifferent Apprenticeship Support offer which includes tailored business support for local SME’s as well as a grant.
Up to £3,000 of funding is available to any SME that creates a new job opportunity by taking on an apprentice. This could be a young person or adult recruit and businesses are recommended to apply early before the end of February as places are limited.
The grant funding, provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), is designed to encourage even more local businesses to benefit from taking on an apprentice and make a real positive addition to their workforce.
Bolton Council’s Deputy Leader Martyn Cox said: “We have an excellent record in Bolton when it comes to taking on and developing apprentices, and the SME support grant is a great opportunity to build on that success. An experienced and well-trained workforce is vital for the future of the local economy and we are particularly keen to engage with sectors where we know there is a skills gap. GMCA has awarded Business Bolton the second highest amount for the SME support grant and we are aiming to see up to 50 new quality apprenticeships created in Bolton.”
Ewan, 17 years old from Blackrod, said: “I was delighted to be offered an apprenticeship at G Taylor Plumbing & Heating. I’m really enjoying the course at Bolton College and my manager spends quality time sharing his knowledge and skills with me on the job. My aim is to become a fully qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineer, eventually becoming as good as my manager.”
Graham Taylor, Owner of G Taylor Plumbing & Heating said: “I was keen to offer an apprenticeship opportunity to a young person within the area, giving them a chance to train in their chosen profession. The apprenticeship grant was a real incentive which helped cover additional costs associated with employing an apprentice such as tools, uniform, PPE and insurance. Applying for the grant was simple and straightforward as Bolton Council and Bolton College helped throughout the whole process.”
Lory Povah, Bolton Business Project Officer at Bolton Council said: “The apprenticeship grant supports businesses with the cost of recruiting individuals into employment through the apprenticeship programme. For many businesses, the additional support provided is a big incentive when deciding whether to employ an apprentice.”
Full criteria and grant applications are available online.
Additional GM support includes the levy matching service which allows Levy donors to support local SMEs to cover the cost of training an apprentice from level 2 to degree and masters. Wider business support, information and advice is also available.
Also, look out for details of the ‘Bolton means Business #2020’ event, 25th February at Bolton Town Hall, an opportunity to access front line business support services under one roof.