‘Apprenticeships are crucial if we want to build the future’

Businesses are being encouraged by the Government to help ‘build the future’ in a post pandemic world by considering apprenticeships. Neil Waterhouse, Vice Principal: Commercial and Corporate Services at East Riding College, discusses the merits

The concept of ‘build the future’ is one full of promise and opportunities.

It certainly fits the bill in terms of supporting the local and regional economy, and effectively filling the skills gaps forecast in our area.

With our regional economy so heavily dependent on agriculture, manufacturing, the service industries and tourism, our future lies very firmly in supporting the green recovery plan, focusing on the opportunities in green growth and those presented by the recent awarding of freeport status.

Nowhere has more potential than here to ‘build the future’ in a post Covid world if we work collaboratively.

We have a proven track record of coming together for the greater good in the face of economic adversity and that approach is clearly needed now, more than ever.

We can get through this incredibly challenging period by working in unison, and education and skills development have an essential role to play. 

Creating and developing a skilled workforce through sustainable growth and investment is crucial to this and apprenticeships are key.

As part of the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology (IoT), East Riding College is receiving investment of around £2m in new higher-level engineering facilities at our campus in Beverley.

This investment will help address the shortage of higher-level engineering skills in the region, directly benefiting our local economy.

INVESTMENT: East Riding College’s Beverley campus

Apprenticeships are part of that delivery and can be taken up to degree-level, providing significant career development opportunities for existing employees, as well as those entering the workforce.

‘Build the future’ is about helping individuals develop the skills and knowledge they’ll need for a rewarding career, and helping employers create a workforce with future-ready skills.

Here at East Riding College, we work with lots of different types of businesses across many different sectors. 

The one thing they tend to have in common is a desire to invest in their future and the future of their employees. 

Many local employers of different sizes and types set up apprenticeship schemes with us when they find that they are struggling to recruit or expand.

This can take time and a certain level of commitment, but the potential rewards are incredible.

All of our business leaders across Hull and East Yorkshire understandably want to grow a sustainable business, investing in their people, their careers and the future. 

Incorporating apprenticeships into their plans for growth gives them the ability to build and retain talent; investing in existing staff, broadening the skills sets within their workforce and improving productivity.

If we truly are to ‘build the future’, apprenticeships have a vitally important part to play.