Partners - Apprenticeships Advice Service
Westminster City Partnership
The Apprenticeships Advice service has been funded by the Westminster City Partnership’s (WCP) Local Area Agreement (LAA) since 2006. The LAA supports the economic well-being of local residents and communities across the City aiming to increase the employability of people living in areas of Westminster where worklessness is highest and where improvements are required to support the local economy.
The Apprenticeship Advice Service provides specialist services to help young people living in the more deprived areas of Westminster access apprenticeships, education, employment and training. The service works in close partnership with the WCP’s strategic Housing Network to ensure that we are targeting those young people who are in most need of support. Our relationship with the Housing Network has also enabled us to leverage some great job opportunities for our clients from some of the biggest organisations in the social housing sector and their supply chain.
London Development Agency
The London Development Agency (LDA) views London's population as its most important economic asset. Investing in people, knowledge and skills is a vital part of the LDA’s agenda to achieve sustained economic growth and social inclusion for London. As a major funder of the Apprenticeships Advice Service, the LDA’s partnership with Vital Regeneration aims to ensure that young people get the advice and support that they need to secure an apprenticeship. We are working to create new opportunities for young people to enter the workforce and get the training they need for their career, making a valuable contribution to London’s economy and fulfilling their own aspirations. The Service is funded through the LDA’s Young Londoner’s Fund.
The London Apprenticeship Company
Across 2008, we invested resources in the establishment of The London Apprenticeship Company, which launched in early 2009. In partnership with City of Westminster College we completed a feasibility study into the potential to establish a Group Apprenticeship Company for London. Group Apprentice Companies are an established model in Australia – employing 25,000 apprentices annually. On the back of the feasibility study we created a joint venture with City of Westminster College, Westminster Kingsway College, Paddington Development Trust and Central West Group Apprenticeships (an established Australian apprenticeship company) to establish The London Apprenticeship Company (LAC). The partnership raised more than £1m in external funding to make this innovation happen. The company aims to deliver 1500+ new apprentice jobs in London over the next five years. Our commitment to this venture is aligned with our mission to grow the economic opportunities for London’s most disadvantaged young people. In the current tight labour market, particularly for young people, we are optimistic that LAC will lead innovation in London’s apprentice job market.