Tameside businesses could get up to £5,000 as an incentive for taking on and developing an apprentice.
Local companies could be eligible for up to £3,500 from the Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (GM AGE) with an extra £1,500 grant exclusively available from Tameside Council.
The GM AGE scheme, which is available for all Greater Manchester employers, has been extended to 31 December 2015. This funding is part of Greater Manchester’s devolution strategy, which aims to create over 100,000 new jobs by 2023
To qualify for the GM AGE a business must be based in Greater Manchester, employ less than 250 people and recruit a new apprentice aged 16-24 years old.
As long as the business has not taken on any other apprentice in the last 12 months, they will qualify for an initial £1,500. If they then choose to progress the young person from a traineeship to an apprenticeship, they could be eligible for a further £1,000 with an additional £1,000 if it is an Advanced or Higher level Apprenticeship. Together this means each Tameside firm could potentially attract a total of £3,500 in Greater Manchester funding.
Tameside Council has gone a stage further by not only promoting the GM AGE scheme, but by offering a £1,500 grant of its own called the Business Grant. This grant will provide a further £1,500 for Tameside businesses which take on an apprentice or create a new job.
You must register your interest for the Tameside Business Grant by 30 September 2015 in order to qualify for this round.
Executive Member for Learning, Skills and Economic Growth, Cllr Ged Cooney said: “We have pledged to support unemployed young people in to work and help businesses grow. This incentive for Tameside businesses to attract two different grants can only ensure that even more high quality job opportunities are available for our young people.”
For more information on the GM AGE email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information about the Tameside Business Grant contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Tameside Council website at tameside.gov.uk/TJP.
