26 Jul 2011
Unite the Union and Prospect have expressed their wholehearted support for Cogent SSC’s Apprenticeship training initiative, which is set to receive funding from the Government’s £50m Growth and Innovation Fund.
The Trades Unions, which have been involved in developing the bid, will also play an important role as the scheme is rolled out.
The vision of the ATA is Real jobs for Real Apprentices and it will support employers in the process manufacturing and nuclear industries, to source and employ apprentices.
Tony Burke, Assistant General Secretary Unite the Union, and representative on the Cogent Board said: “Skills development is vital for the productivity of the process manufacturing sector and this funding will support companies in developing people and equipping with them with the specialist skills they need. Apprenticeships are the lifeblood of manufacturing, a sector which is essential to the rebalanced economy the country needs at the moment.”
Dai Hudd, Deputy General Secretary of Prospect and representative on Cogent’s Board said: “We welcome this scheme, which will see Cogent working in partnership with employers to support the development of critical science and technology skills for the future. The ATA will deliver much needed new blood into the industries as well as providing a secure future for the apprentices who take part.”
Cogent CEO Joanna Woolf added: “It is Cogent’s ambition to make it easy for companies to take on apprentices by removing the barriers that get in the way. Apprentices are important to the future prosperity of the sector and there is a real appetite from companies of all shapes and sizes to get involved.”
The ATA will be of particular benefit to SMEs, and will include local support networks. Being able to employ apprentices on behalf of employers will also be of significant benefit to those employers experiencing challenging trading conditions. The ATA will also offer progression routes to Higher Level Education to apprentices who complete their frameworks and an alumni programme will be established to support the promotion of apprenticeships to school children.
The ATA is one of three Cogent projects to receive funding from The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The projects have all been developed under the leadership of companies and are aimed at addressing some of the skills challenges that are getting in the way of companies continued performance and growth. The overall value of the bids is circa £2.4m (subject to contract).
Notes to Editors
About Cogent
Cogent is the Sector Skills Council for the science-based industries. It is the voice of employers in these industry sectors and is working with them to design qualifications; attract young people into the Sector and understand their needs through comprehensive research. Cogent currently represents the interests of a sector which employs around 900,000 people in high value jobs and indirectly supports around three times as many. The industries rely on a constant supply of high level skills, especially in science and engineering, to ensure innovation and growth in energy, advanced process technology and biotechnology.
For more on what we offer go to: www.cogent-ssc.com
For press enquiries contact: Judith Holcroft on: 01925 515 215
About Unite
Unite is Britain's biggest union with 1.5 million members in every type of workplace.
Unite “is the union for the 21st century”. Unite was formed by a merger between two of Britain's' leading unions, the T&G and Amicus. It was created to meet the great challenges facing working people in the 21st century. Unite is also active on a global scale building ever stronger links with trade unions around the world to confront the challenges of the globalised economy.
About Prospect
Prospect is an independent, thriving and forward-looking trade union with more than 102,000 members in the public and private sectors. Its members are engineers, scientists, managers and specialists in areas as diverse as agriculture, defence, energy, environment, heritage, shipbuilding and transport. It is the largest union in the UK representing professional engineers.
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