Conservatives under fire for internship auction
The Conservative Party has come under fire after auctioning off internship places at leading City and PR firms for the children of wealthy backers during a fundraising event last week. The move comes at a time when youth unemployment is hitting 20% and work experience is deemed crucial to future job prospects in a highly […]
Work experience for young NEETs ‘blighting’ Britain
Employment Minister Chris Grayling will unveil a programme aimed at extending work experience opportunities for young people today in a bid to tackle the “blight” of youth unemployment. With unemployment rates among the under 25s now standing at around 20%, the Minister will reveal plans to extend the length of time that young unemployed […]
Hilton sets up Chef Apprenticeship Academy
An international hotel chain has set up a Chef Apprenticeship Academy, which will fully fund each place and provide participants with a salary during the programme. The Academy, which will be opened by Hilton Worldwide early next month, is to take on 20 apprentices who will undertake a combination of college-based courses and on-the-job training […]
Apprenticeships for ‘other people’s children’
Apprenticeships are widely considered second best to a university education and as something for “other people’s children”. On the day that A-levels are announced across the UK, it was revealed that just over half of parents still view studying at university as the most valuable career path for their child – despite the fact that […]
BT may expand apprenticeship scheme
High levels of youth unemployment that led to BT receiving more than 100 applications for each of its apprenticeship places mean that the telecoms provider is now considering whether to expand the scheme. The company had nearly 24,000 applications for the 221 positions that were available this year – more than the total number of […]
No NMW ‘loophole’ for interns
Employers are breaking the law by taking on unpaid interns and the practice should be banned in the political arena in order to set an example, according to policy researchers. A report published by think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) and social enterprise organisation Internocracy revealed that too many employers, particularly in fields […]
Apprenticeship academy for young people at Co-op
The Co-operative Group has set up an Apprenticeship Academy to provide 2,000 young people with transferrable skills and qualifications at a cost of £9 million over the next two years. The move is part of a wider £21 million ‘Inspiring Young People’ campaign, which is aimed at changing the negative perceptions of youth and supporting […]
Apprenticeships appreciated at awards
Sellafield won the top accolade at last night’s Apprenticeship Awards ceremony in London for making the most effective use of its trainees in order to meet the needs of both its business and the local community. The nuclear power provider, which was awarded the title of Macro Employer of the Year, has taken on apprentices […]
Interns need ‘training wage’ says CIPD
The CIPD says all employers should be obliged to pay interns a guaranteed ‘Training Wage’ to prevent exploitation. A policy paper entitled ‘Internships: To Pay or Not to Pay?’ published today by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) proposed that all interns regardless of their occupation or industry sector be paid £2.50 per […]
Sainsbury’s suppliers to offer skills training to unemployed
Sainsbury’s has struck a deal with 60 of its suppliers to train 100 unemployed people in trades that are currently suffering from underinvestment and skills shortages. The Sainsbury’s Supplier Trainee Partnerships scheme will provide successful applicants with a 12-month paid contract to work for one of the supermarket chain’s key suppliers in construction, engineering, facilities […]
Unpaid interns ‘may be illegal’
Employers may be breaking the law by not paying as many as one in three interns the national minimum wage even though they qualify for it, according to the TUC. The union umbrella organisation warned that any intern who is not simply observing and shadowing paid employees but is instead undertaking work-related tasks with set […]
The graduate talent pool: A guide to internships
Internships are often a good way for individuals to gain experience in business and for the business community to benefit from talent. In most cases, internships are intended to be short periods of work experience, usually for students or graduates. Recently, the Government launched the Graduate Talent Pool, which is intended to match employers with […]
McDonald’s is the big mac for apprenticeship schemes
Once, working at McDonald’s might have been seen as a career with limited prospects but by offering a variety of qualifications and job opportunities the organisation has given many the chance they’ve needed to gain high-quality diplomas, managerial jobs and a boost of confidence. Since McDonald’s became one of the largest apprenticeship providers in […]
Rising stars: National Apprenticeship week launches
The government launched National Apprenticeship Week yesterday and backed up the promotion by unveiling a new grant for organisations willing to take on unemployed 16 and 17 year olds. The National Apprenticeship Service, which was set up in April last year, will offer up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers (AGE) of £2,500 per candidate […]
HR Tip: Sex discrimination because we have only male engineer apprentices?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: “I have been advised that we discriminate unlawfully because all our engineering apprentices are male. We have no objection to female apprentices but no girls apply. Surely we are therefore in the […]
