A range of support is available in South Cambridgeshire to help you find and recruit the right people with the desired skills and attributes required for your business needs.
Investing in apprenticeships, work placements and work experience can be a fantastic way of finding the right people and developing the required skills for your business, as well as giving school and college students excellent future job opportunities.
There are also a range of training schemes and courses to help existing employees develop existing or new skills.
Webinar: Demystifying apprenticeships for businesses
We hosted a webinar where a panel of speakers explained how apprenticeships can benefit your business, improve recruitment and retention, what the apprenticeship levy is and how it works, and identify apprenticeship opportunities.
For updates on future webinars, please visit our business networking and events webpage and sign up to our business newsletter.
If you are looking to start an apprenticeship, or are an employer looking to connect with apprentices, the resources below can provide some advice to help you get started:
- Form the Future supports local businesses to develop and offer apprenticeships through the Greater Cambridge Apprenticeship Service The service supports any type of apprenticeship but especially in the much sought after STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths
- Growth Works with Skills connects employers and learners with opportunities that enable growth. They offer advice and support on apprenticeships including:
- levy support
- internships
- work experience
- advice on training and upskilling staff
- recruitment support through their recruitment platform
- The Government offer step-by-step advice and information to employers on taking on an apprentice, including the financial support that is available towards the costs of training and assessments.
Some colleges and universities across the district provide apprenticeships, including:
- Cambridge Regional College apprenticeship
- Anglia Ruskin University offers degree apprenticeships and is looking for businesses to partner with.
Work placements, internships and work experience are a great way to find future employees, as they give you the opportunity to train and assess people over time.
Advice:
- Form for the Future supports businesses to work with local schools and colleges to offer work experience and mentoring to school students
- Growth Works with Skills connects employers and learners with opportunities that enable growth. They offer advice and support on:
- apprenticeships
- levy support
- internships
- work experience
- advice on training and upskilling staff
- recruitment support through their recruitment platform.
Find a provider:
- Cambridge Regional College students study a wide range of skills. Business training includes:
- IT
- logistics
- accounting and finance
- business and management
- catering and hospitality
- construction and engineering (including motor vehicle)
- hairdressing, beauty and barbering
- health and safety
- first aid
- social care and childcare.
- Anglia Ruskin University can help you find second and third year undergraduates in a number of business disciplines for up to a year. They also run KEEP+, which allows SMEs to have a subsidised intern for 12 weeks
- Cambridge University’s Department of Engineering offers student placement opportunities.
In addition to the mainstream online jobs boards, agencies and local papers, there are alternative ways of recruiting staff.
Advice:
- Growth Works with Skills connects employers and learners with opportunities that enable growth. They give recruitment support through their recruitment platform
- HM Revenue & Customs have videos, email alerts and free webinars for employers
- Jobcentre Plus offers an extensive range of services to help you grow and develop your business.
Find a provider:
- Anglia Ruskin University’s Employment Bureau will help you recruit the University’s graduates. They have a free jobs listing service
- Waythrough support people recovering from mental health problems to find paid employment
- Shaw Trust a national charity, will help you recruit disabled and non-disabled individuals through their free service.
- The Career Transition Partnership offers fully funded recruitment support to help you hire individuals leaving the Armed Forces.
The Midlife MOT helps workers aged 45 to 55 take stock of their finances, skills and health, prepare for their retirement and build financial resilience. It also helps employers ensure they are age-friendly and providing dedicated support for older workers in their teams. It supports older workers to make secure plans for their later life and encourage them to stay in employment.
Support with Employee Health and Disability supports employers and managers with common health and disability issues at work. It provides step-by-step guidance, including:
- support with health and disability-related conversations
- making reasonable adjustments
- source expert advice like occupational health.
WorkWell is a free, voluntary service, offering employees an opportunity to talk confidentially about their work and health needs. It aims to prevent them falling out of work due to a disability or health condition, and supports employees when they return to work from a sickness absence.