WIREDGOV

BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, welcomes the government’s £2 billion package to support young people into work in the aftermath of coronavirus crisis, announced Wednesday by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. As part of the measures, the government will pay £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice aged 25 and over. Plus, there will be 30,000 traineeships on offer.

BCS is a digital apprenticeship assessment organisation and its Head of Apprenticeships Annette Allmark said:

“This is an opportunity to rejuvenate training for young people across the board during these difficult times. For the academic year, 2020-21 the government will provide £101 million for 18-19- year olds to study high-value Level 2 and 3 courses. This is a vital level of support as these young people make their first big career decisions.

“We hope to work in partnership across all sectors of the economy. Many professions, including those in the hospitality, health and care, and construction industries, now rely on IT and digital skills to do their job.

“What we’ve learned from COVID is that we must embed digital skills into the design of training programmes to futureproof employees so whatever their occupations, their skill base remains robust and resilient.

“As far as the delivery of the training itself, the importance of being able to teach and learn remotely has also been underlined during the recent lockdown. This financial boost comes at a challenging time and the investment in apprenticeships and other training will be fundamental to rebuilding our economy.”

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