West Sussex businesses urged to hire apprentices to help ease financial strain and boost economy

That is the finding of a new report, commissioned by the Coastal West Sussex Partnership, which shows a nine-year recovery period for the local economy.

The Coastal West Sussex Covid-19 Impact Report states that of April 2020, 80 per cent of all UK workers in hotel, food and accommodation were on furlough; for the arts, entertainment and recreation, the figure was 68 per cent.

Henry Powell, Chairman of the Coastal West Sussex Partnership, said: “With many young people employed in the worst affected sectors, the challenge now is for local employers, organisations and education providers to work together to create better prospects for young people, which in turn will create better outcomes for business. The Apprenticeship Levy is one answer to that challenge.”

The Apprenticeship Levy is being made available across the county and provides the finances to train an apprentice. West Susses County Council said the process will now be 'more fluid' due to no fixed closure date and decisions made within 15 working days.

Mr Powell added: “We must ensure that local people have the skills they need to be well-placed to tackle the challenges of the future. Apprenticeships offer the chance to work and study, with no cost to the employer when it comes to training. We strongly urge employers to consider how taking on an apprentice could help them.”

Littlehampton Welding is a local business that has already benefited from the Apprenticeship Levy. Members of its team have completed master’s degree apprenticeships in senior leadership. Production manager and apprentice Nathan Saunders commented: “I will use the knowledge gained to benefit both the business and myself. To learn vocationally on the job gives an opportunity to integrate learnings almost instantaneously.”

Employers that wish to find further information can contact Chichester College Group on 01243 812 948 or at [email protected].

Apprenticeships are also available from the University of Chichester, more information is available at https://www.chi.ac.uk/business-services/degree-apprenticeships-employers.

To read the report, please visit https://coastalwestsussex.org.uk.