Just seven months into the current academic year, JTL is reporting that it has already achieved over 93% of its planned apprenticeship starts for the full year.
Growth in Yorkshire and the North East is seeing this part of the UK leading improvement over the previous year’s figures, but it is being closely followed by the North West, with Wales also surpassing expectations.
JTL now believes that its full number of apprenticeship starts in the year should reach 2,000 for the first time since 2008. Whilst those beginning apprenticeships in electrical disciplines represent the biggest share of the total, JTL has also seen encouraging growth in both plumbing and heating and ventilating figures.
“Whilst general economic improvements have certainly contributed to such positive momentum, I feel that the message has got through to the industries that working with JTL provides many additional benefits and is often more competitively priced than alternatives,” said Robert Moore, Operations Manager of the charitable training company.
“As well as working with many of the companies we have worked with for many years, we have welcomed some exciting new partners in the past 12 months that shows that our message is getting through to potential new employers who are looking for the best way to attract and keep good quality young people.”
JTL success rates continue to outperform national averages in most engineering disciplines that it serves. For example, in the case of plumbing and heating at Level 2, JTL outperforms the national average success rate by almost 16%, whilst at Level 3 MES plumbing there is a six% positive comparison. Additionally, the company is consistently at the forefront in advising employers of changes to training frameworks and both local and national funding opportunities.
The high quality of JTL applicants for apprenticeship openings has also been a feature of the recently launched online applications process. This provides a young person who achieves success on an online test, with inclusion on JTL’s approved applicants list. This is then circulated to potential employers to assist them with shortlisting for interviews with their potential new apprentices.
News of the improving uptake comes following excellent news for each of the last two years, when in both 2012/13 and 2013/14, JTL achieved a rise in apprenticeship numbers of 11 per cent, year on year, each year.