The public sector apprenticeship target was introduced in 2017. Public sector bodies with 250 or more staff in England have a target to employ an average of at least 2.3% of their staff as an apprentice annually. The Council is required to submit an annual return detailing our progress towards the target. The figures below show Telford & Wrekin Council’s report for 2021/22:
| Number of employees who work in England | |
|---|---|
| Number of employees who were working in England on 31 March 2021 | 4,521 |
| Number of employees who were working in England on 31 March 2022 | 4,574 |
| Number of new employees who started working for you in England between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 | 720 |
| Number of employees who work in England | |
|---|---|
| Number of apprentices who were working in England on 31 March 2021 | 99 |
| Number of apprentices who were working in England on 31 March 2022 | 112 |
| Number of new apprentices in England between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 (includes both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) | 55 |
Percentage of apprenticeship starts (both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) as a proportion of employment starts between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 - 7.64%.
Percentage of total headcount that were apprentices on 31 March 2022 - 2.45%.
Percentage of apprenticeship starts (both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 as a proportion of total headcount on 31 March 2022 - 1.2%.
Actions we have taken this year to meet the target
Our approach to apprenticeships continues to be driven through workforce planning in particular services identifying skill gaps and looking toward succession planning, and then exploring how an apprenticeship could address this gap through upskilling existing staff or recruiting new employees specifically into apprenticeship roles.
The Council and Schools offers variety of apprenticeships at differing levels across a number of sectors including:
- business administration
- civil engineering
- teaching and learning including early years
- management and leadership
- social care
- building control
- project management.
Challenges we have faced this year in meeting the target
We have adapted our approach to ensure that we are able to maximise Levy spend and introduced new procurement systems. For previous years Covid 19 had a significant impact on recruitment and uptake of apprenticeships, however we are seeing that this is recovering.
How will you meet the target in the future?
Going forward, underpinned by effective workforce planning, we will continue to work closely with both Council services and Schools year-on-year to maintain engagement levels and drive forward the utilisation of apprenticeship standards. To shape this, with the ownership of our Senior Management team we are reviewing and revising our apprenticeship strategy and offer to maximise the benefit apprenticeships offer to support the development of a skilled workforce for both the Council and the wider community.
Last updated: 03/02/2023 14:19
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