Lancaster & Morecambe College’s ‘200 in 200’ Apprenticeship Challenge is creating jobs across the district

Grace on a school liaison visit promoting the College to potential students, , as part of her apprenticeship

The programme, which aims to create 200 Apprenticeship positions in only 200 days, is helping recruit new staff for companies across the locality, with 156 apprenticeship vacancies already created.

Following previous successful ‘100 in 100’ campaigns LMC doubled the challenge to commemorate its 200th anniversary, which falls in July 2024, in line with a range of celebrations they have planned for the coming year. The campaign aims to create 200 apprenticeships in just 200 days and will support local and regional businesses to meet recruitment and training targets.

Grace’s story

College is on course to create 200 jobs in 200 days. Supplied image

One of the first people to find a new role as part of the campaign, which launched at the end of the summer, is Grace Parker who is now the Marketing Assistant at Lancaster & Morecambe College.

Grace, who had previously completed a L3 Travel & Tourism course realised that her passion lay in events planning and promotional content, was thrilled when she was offered the opportunity to join the Marketing team as an apprentice.

“The aspects of the Travel course that I enjoyed the most were the running/planning of events and promotional projects. I developed a passion for marketing and soon realised that this was the career path for me. The Business Support with Marketing apprenticeship is teaching me so many new things and I have the opportunity to really build on my knowledge, whilst developing the skills I will need to progress within the sector,” she said.

“I knew that I was ready to move into full-time employment and this is a much better option for me than university, as I am learning everything I need to be successful and earning a wage at the same time.”

Lancaster and Morecambe College’s Apprenticeship Challenge helps businesses meet recruitment and training targets. Supplied image

Victoria Carter, LMC’s Head of Engagement, said: “Following a difficult couple of years, we have started to see a real resurgence in apprenticeships, with more employers choosing this route for their workforce. Since launching the campaign in August, we have supported businesses across the region to create 158 new apprenticeship roles.

“We know how important apprenticeships are for our local and regional businesses and we always encourage people to consider this as a viable alternative to full time study. They can offer so much more than just qualifications; they build the skills, knowledge and behaviours that employers require and they bring fresh ideas and new practices into the workplace. We have taken on 2 new apprentices in our team and they have brought fresh ideas and ways of working with them. It really is a fantastic opportunity for employers and apprentices alike.”

Working with businesses

The College’s dedicated Employer Engagement Team is working with a growing number of employers from across all sectors that are keen to offer roles to apprentices.

Employer Engagement Advisor, Kelly Lightfoot, knows just how important getting the right apprentice can be for a business.

“Part of our role is to support the employer to find the right apprentice for their workplace. We offer a matching service for applicants, where we ensure they meet all of the eligibility criteria before we put them forward for interview and, because we have built a strong relationship with the employer, we are able to identify the strongest candidates for their post,” she said.

Apprenticeships are not just for school leavers, but those young people who choose this route get a head-start in their careers; by the time their peers have left university they will have gained five years’ experience within their chosen sector and will have developed valuable skills and knowledge to further their employment opportunities.

This year, the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is promoting national apprenticeship vacancies alongside HE courses, in a bid to raise awareness of the benefits of work-based learning, and in the new year they will be launching a campaign to encourage year 13 pupils to consider apprenticeships as a viable progression route when they leave school and college.

Adults can also benefit from apprenticeships and upskill in their current role with higher level, professional qualifications available.

Charlotte Rawes, the College’s Vice Principal, said: “We were delighted with the success of this year’s campaign and we’re always keen to support our local and regional businesses to recruit new staff, and to help tackle skills shortages in various industries. We know apprenticeships are an enabler to a great career and improve productivity within businesses and we want to help as many local people as possible with this campaign.”

To find out more on the current vacancies of apprenticeships with Lancaster & Morecambe College, visit here. If you’re a local business or employer looking to work with apprentices, get in touch on 01524 521 483 or visit http://www.lmc.ac.uk for more information.

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