Fareham College unites employers for National Apprenticeship Week

The dinner played host to over 40 local employers and staff including Aeropark LTD, Blanchard Wells, GE Aviation, Hampshire County Council, Knights Brown, South Western Railway and Skanska and was held in Fareham College’s restaurant, Avenue 141. Testimony to the College’s exceptional training facilities, the staff and student operated restaurant has achieved accolades including Gold Accreditation from the Hospitality Guild and the prestigious AA College Rosette.

With its excellent business relationships, culminating from investment in its facilities and innovative employer engagement initiatives, Fareham College is at the forefront of Apprenticeship delivery. The college is highly regarded within the local business community, with a reputation for delivering bespoke apprenticeship programmes from its state-of-the-art facilities. 

Andrew Kaye, Principal and Chief Executive at Fareham College said: 

“In hosting this event, we intended to not only celebrate National Apprenticeship Week and thank our employers with some of our award-winning hospitality, but to also provide a platform from which practical apprenticeship solutions can be applied for the mutual benefit of our students and the employers we work with.

“Apprenticeships are highly relevant to the courses delivered by Fareham College, our recently completed Civil Engineering Training Centre alone aims to deliver more than 1,600 groundwork and civil engineering apprenticeships over the next five years.”

Apprenticeship training at Fareham College is delivered through Business Plus, the College’s dedicated apprenticeships department, which offers a free service advising on the benefits of apprenticeships, the financial elements of recruitment, and the different apprenticeships that are available for businesses.

Lesley Roberts, Managing Director of Business Plus said: 

“There is increasing recognition from employers about the benefits of apprenticeships, and we want to build upon this, helping employers to navigate the administrative side of recruiting and employing an apprentice.

“Our placement within Fareham College means we have the option to draw on over £28 million of newly-developed facilities across three dedicated campuses, and deliver our training in conjunction with a team of highly qualified teaching staff.” 

Since April 2019, levy-paying employers can transfer up to a maximum of 25 percent of their annual levy fund to any other employer, or apprenticeship training agency.

During the dinner, employers heard from Christine Hansford, Programme Manager (Quality and Commissioning), from Hampshire County Council who explained how Apprenticeship Levy transfer works and stated that Hampshire County Council has £900,000 to offer to employers to assist them in upskilling their workforce. 

Wayne Clark, Founding Partner of The Global Growth Institute and former Managing and International Partner of the advisory arm of Best Companies, spoke to guests about the importance of successful line management and how effective employee engagement can pay dividends for businesses.  

As well as celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, the evening raised £740.00 for local charity, Solent Mind. During the dinner, a silent auction was held offering prizes including: a cosmetics hamper, donated by Estee Lauder; a signed football by Portsmouth Football Club players, donated by Portsmouth Football Club; a champagne afternoon tea for four at Lime Wood Hotel and a tasting experience at The Jetty Restaurant in Southampton’s Harbour Hotel, both donated by Aeropark Ltd.

National Apprenticeship Week continues until Sunday 9 February 2020.