Durham County Council to address skills need through apprenticeships

Durham County Council will be presented with an updated apprenticeship strategy which specifically links to the council’s ambition for a thriving economy with more and better jobs.

The updated strategy is pivotal not only to the council’s ambition to create a workforce of the future, but to also give people access to good quality education, training, and employment and help people into rewarding work.

It is aligned to the council’s Workforce, Regeneration, Procurement, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Autism strategies, as well as its values, and helps to support care leavers and people with disabilities into employment.

There are six aims of the strategy which include, continuing to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities across the council; targeting and maximising opportunities for those who face the most challenges to accessing employment; and supporting people to progress into employment through apprenticeships.

The council will also work in partnership with members, Trade Unions, training providers and other local authorities to promote and deliver apprenticeship opportunities and engage with maintained schools to promote apprenticeship opportunities.

Cllr Richard Bell, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “Creating more apprenticeship opportunities for new and existing employees will increase skills and provide people from all backgrounds with more opportunities to progress their careers.

“We are determined to support our workforce with their skills needs and to improve the wider skills base in County Durham.

“Apprenticeships play a key part in this and are a vital tool in helping us to attract and retain the very best talent and a workforce for the future. In turn, this allows us to deliver the highest quality services to communities across the county.”