Business Directory

Businesses to benefit from young talent

Businesses looking to help young people from Woking Borough to improve their employment and career prospects could benefit from a financial boost, as Woking Borough Council and Surrey County Council are offering financial support.

Funding worth up to £3,000 is available to those businesses who take on their first apprentice. Potential apprentices must be aged between 19-24 years and live within Woking Borough. And those who recruit apprentices before their 19th birthday will have the full cost of their apprenticeship training met through Government funding.

Apprenticeships ensure that a business' workforce has the practical skills and qualifications needed now and in the future. They consist of a young person being employed, whilst spending some time outside of the workplace training to gain a recognised qualification. Apprentices may carry out their training on day release at a college, or be supported by a training provider within the working environment.

The apprenticeship takes at least a year and the employer will benefit from an increasingly skilled employee, shaped to meet the needs of their business. For more information, please call Glenn Thorogood on 01483 743016 or email [email protected]

There are many more ways you can help to support youth employment, please see here for more.

"Making Young People Fit For Work"

'Invest in Your Success' will give young people the necessary skills and qualities that future employers will look for, through a programme of student mentoring and key business-related tasks. But before the scheme can begin in earnest, it must recruit volunteer advisers, eager to pass on their business knowledge and experience to young people.

If you are interested in becoming a business volunteer, please contact Jonathan Olaofe [email protected] or Glenn Thorogood [email protected] for more information.

Jonathan will also be attending regular networking events in and around Woking, so if you have some questions about getting involved, feel free to stop and ask him for more information.

Benefits to Your Business

This is a great opportunity for your business to both help develop young peoples' personal and employability skills, so they are ready to enter the workplace after they progress from education as well your own skills set.

• An opportunity to help develop a better skilled workforce for the future,
• Help to raise the standards of achievements amongst Young People, as well as improving their motivation and attendance;
• A showcase for your business and sector through;
• Increasing your company profile in the community, by creating opportunities to develop and enhance your corporate social responsibility programme.
• Young people more aware of range of opportunities available in the local area and of key sectors.
• Awareness of the range of qualifications that young people gain today, so you can understand their skills and training.
• A chance for your own employees to develop and enhance their individual business and personal skills such as; communication, customer awareness and self management.
• Positive effect on young people by:"Helping to raise aspirations and the standards of achievements amongst young people and helping them to build confidence in their ability to work, as well as empowering them to take a more active approach to job seeking.

What We Need from You:

We are looking to recruit as many mentors as possible, to cover the large range of business sectors that are based in and around Woking. Each mentor would receive special training as well as the usual safeguarding checks i.e. CRB checks.

• A time commitment of approximately 2- 5 days, between August 2012 and June 2013, which will include the specialist mentor training and attendance at the events. If you can commit more time then that is even better!
• Range of employees from different sectors and backgrounds, each keen to impart their knowledge and talk about their experiences with young people.
• A desire to help young people develop and build on the skills you, as businesses, say they are lacking.