Norfolk County Council has teamed up with Facilities Management Services provider Norse Group to create 81 apprenticeships in the next twelve months, with the first six positions becoming available during the first week of May this year.
Norse Commercial Services has recently received its second Business in the Community "Big Tick" - awarded to businesses recognised for "integrating responsible business practice in to their operations while delivering positive impacts on the environment and in the workplace, marketplace and community".
The Council has allocated over £890,000 to the scheme, almost matched by Norse Group - whose HR Resources Director Tricia Fuller says: “It is a sign of the times for young people. It is really difficult for them because they come saying ‘I’ve not got experience, but I’ve got talent’.
“We are working through this. The issue is we could cherry pick the appointments from fantastically well qualified young people who have their A-levels, but I also want these other groups who are going to struggle to get intowork.”
Norse will be filling 22 posts in the first recruitment wave, while the Council has pledged to create further apprenticeship places starting in July.
Regional Chairman of the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Richard Bridgeman is acting as advisor to Norfolk County Council and says: “There are jobs for those who really want to work. But they have got to be passionate about wanting a job. They have got to put themselves out.”
Norfolk County Council Deputy Leader, Ian Mackie, says the council was determined to support young people and was working hard with small and medium businesses towards that goal. He says: “1,500 applications for 28 jobs is overwhelming. It shows the level of interest in undertaking an apprenticeship and it also shows the level of need.”
