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New scheme will see firms paid £3,700 for bringing apprentices back from furlough

Minister Dodds meets apprentice engineering tutor Michael Gargan and student Joshua Church at Impact Training in Belfast
Minister Dodds meets apprentice engineering tutor Michael Gargan and student Joshua Church at Impact Training in Belfast Minister Dodds meets apprentice engineering tutor Michael Gargan and student Joshua Church at Impact Training in Belfast

FIRMS in the north are to be paid for £3,700 for every one of the 4,500 apprentices they bring back from furlough and retain until they have completed their apprenticeships.

It runs alongside a previously announced scheme were £3,000 per apprentice will also be available to employers for each new opportunity created between now and next March.

The fresh incentive, which begins the day after the UK government furlough scheme ends on October 31, was confirmed by economy minister Diane Dodds as part of additional £17.2 million in funding from the Executive to help bolster apprentice intake.

Support will take the form of a £500 return payment followed by up to £2,000 for an employer who retains their apprentice for four months following their return from furlough.

A final result payment of £1,200 will be made when the apprentice completes his or her formal qualification.

“I want to minimise apprenticeship job losses, maintain and grow the supply of apprenticeship opportunities and support apprentices who have been displaced and lost their apprenticeship,” the minister said yesterday.

Her department will also launch an Apprenticeship Challenge Fund later this month to support innovative approaches and new collaborations to increase apprenticeship opportunities, and where successful applicants could receive one off awards of up to £50,000.

“I am committed to doing everything within my power to ensure the continued development of an effective skills pipeline which will support the needs of both employers and our economy,” she added.

The latest initiatives have been welcomed by employers, training providers and apprenticeship organisations.

Professor Terri Scott of the Further Education Colleges Principals’ Group said the interventions will be crucial in securing a skills pipeline and in safeguarding the significant role apprenticeships play in the economy.

“Over the past number of weeks, we have been engaging with anxious employers who despite being committed to apprenticeships, were concerned about having the funds to support the much needed investment in skills,” he said.

“This announcement along with the endorsement of the vital role apprenticeships play, will give employers confidence to plan for the future by retaining current apprentices and recruiting new starts.

“We would encourage all employers to get in contact with their local FE College today to find out more about the wide range of rewarding opportunities on offer through Higher Level Apprenticeships and the ApprenticeshipsNI programme.

“All colleges are working closely with employers to assist them in recruiting new apprentices while also ensuring that those who have been furloughed have the opportunity to complete their training and qualifications.”