BCTG chosen to deliver ground-breaking apprentice training

Training provider BCTG has been selected by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to deliver a ground-breaking training course.

Path 2 Apprenticeship, which is being backed by £200,000 from WMCA, aims to unlock the talents of young people, especially those not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The initiative, is the result of a partnership between the WMCA and professional services company Accenture, seeks to tackle the region 's skills shortage and increase the number of apprentices being taken on by SMEs across the region.

It will also complement the success that the WMCA has had with its near £40 million apprentice levy transfer fund which has supported more than 1,000 SMEs and nearly 3,000 apprentices.

Chris Luty (pictured), chairman of BCTG, said: “The course aims to unlock the talents of young people while getting them ready for work in growth industries like construction, digital and logistics. ”

BCTG Group is a West Midlands-based training organisation which supports almost 10,000 young people and adults each year.

The group has ten sites in Birmingham, the Black Country, Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and includes PTP Training, trading as Performance Through People, BCTG Ltd, Eurosource Solutions, Further Training and The Apprenticeship Works.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “I 'm delighted that this public-private partnership has been set up to help accelerate the take up of apprenticeships, especially amongst marginalised young people who have been hit so hard by the pandemic and current economic slowdown.

“This apprenticeship training pilot aims to attract and inspire young people, unlocking their talents while getting them ready for work in our growth industries like construction, digital and logistics.

“This will also help address the skills shortage which is affecting many businesses at the moment and help sow the seeds for the sort of high skilled workforce our region will need to thrive and prosper in the years ahead. ”

The pilot, which will initially train 120 young people, includes a collaboration of stakeholders including the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), BCTG and Pet-Xi Training Ltd. alongside support from Stay Nimble and Accenture.

The scheme includes a six-week training course to support young people into good apprenticeships, financial support for eligible participants with cost-of-living items like travel and childcare, and digital and sustainability skills, reflecting the needs of many businesses to adapt to digitalisation and net zero targets.

It will focus on employers who can offer good apprenticeships at the end of the training, paying at least the real living wage, and in addition offer support, including mentoring and coaching

During the course, young people will also receive support, if required, for Maths and English skills and the training will focus on meeting the skills needs of SMEs across the West Midlands.