Apprenticeships
Public Sector Apprenticeships Target
The public-sector apprenticeships target was introduced by government in April 2017 and sets a target for any public-sector employer in England with at least 250 employees to employ an average of 2.3% of their staff headcount as new apprentice starts between 1st April 2017 and March 2021.
Maidstone Borough Council has recently reported back to central government its progress towards meeting the target for the 2020/2021 year and were delighted to report that we are employing 2.5% of our headcount as apprentices.
The Council continues to recruit and support apprentices; there are currently 5 apprentices employed by the Council. The Council also has a strategy to review posts when they become vacant to consider whether they could be made apprenticeship posts, and to open further opportunities.
The Council offers apprenticeship training to existing employees to support upskilling of our own workforce and provide opportunities for progression that we might not otherwise have been able to afford to.
The below figures reflect the reporting period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021:
| Number of employees who work in England | Number |
|---|---|
| No. of employees on 31 March 2020 | 540 |
| No. of employees on 31 March 2021 | 520 |
| No. of new employees who started work between 01/04/20 to 31/03/21 | 29 |
| Number of apprentices who work in England | Number |
| No. of apprentices on 31 March 2020 | 12 |
| No. of apprentices on 31 March 2021 | 13 |
| No. of new apprentices who started work between 01/04/20 to 31/03/21 (this includes both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) | 5 |
| Reporting percentages | |
| Percentage of apprenticeship starts (both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) as a proportion of employment starts between 01/04/20 to 31/03/21 | 9.72% |
| Percentage of total headcount that were apprentices on 31 March 2021 | 2.5% |
| Percentage of apprenticeship starts (both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) between 01/04/20 to 31/03/21 as a proportion of total headcount on 31 March 2020 | 0.93% |
Our Scheme
We offer apprenticeship placements on a two-year fixed term basis. See our current jobs page to see if there are any placements available.
Government Scheme
Apprenticeships allow you to work and learn at the same time. As an apprentice you will gain new job-specific skills and work towards qualifications. You will get paid national minimum wage and paid holidays.
There are many different types of apprenticeships that range from engineering to financial advice, veterinary nursing to accountancy. There are three apprenticeship levels; intermediate level (level 2), advanced level (level 3) and higher level (level 4).
To apply you can visit the apprenticeships' website where you will need to create a profile to apply for vacancies.