Skills for Care backs National Apprenticeship week

News Release 3 February 2010, Ref 04/10

Skills for Care is running a series of regional events supporting National Apprenticeships week after a huge increase in adult social care apprentices completing their courses.

Between Jan and October 2009 5025 adult social care apprentices completed the full apprenticeship framework which is an increase of 65% against 3034 apprenticeship completions for the entire period of Jan-Dec 2008.

The regional events staring today aim to celebrate the talents and skills of thousands of adult social care apprentices as well the huge effort their employers have put in to train them.

A recent Populus poll that showed 81% of businesses agree that apprentices make their work place more productive and social care employers who have never considered taking on apprentices will have the chance to find how they can recruit them to their business.

Representatives from Skills for Care's growing network of Apprenticeship Champions will be on hand at the events to talk about the business benefits of taking on apprentices including significantly reduced staff turnover.

"There has been huge increase in the number of apprentices completing their courses which proves adult social care is the perfect place to start your working life as an apprentice," says Skills for Care CEO Andrea Rowe.

"Employers tell us they love having apprentices as they bring bags of enthusiasm and new ideas to their workplaces which benefits existing staff and the people who use services and their carers.

"Our sector will need a minimum of half a million extra workers by 2025 and the massive rise in completions shows that apprenticeships are a very effective tool in recruiting new people and as importantly retaining them for the future."

Media enquiries:

Paul Clarke: 0113 2411297/ 07977519287. paul.clarke@skillsforcare.org.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Skills for Care is the employment-led strategic body for workforce development in adult social care in England, which is licensed jointly with its UK allies by UKCES to be the 'Skills for Care and Development' Sector Skills Council (SSC). The other members of the SSC are the Children's Workforce Development Council (also for England), the General Social Care Council, the Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
2. Skills for Care forms a strategic overview of workforce needs in adult social care, which accounts for nearly 1.5 million workers or 5 per cent of England's workforce, spread over more than 35,000 employers. Skills for Care members are drawn from groups representing public, private and voluntary sector care employers, along with representatives of staff, trainers, service users and informal carers. Social care includes residential care, domiciliary care and social work with all its specialisms.
3. Skills for Care and its SSC allies promote and develop the social care sector's National Occupational Standards which are statements of competence that describe 'best practice'.
4. Skills for Care regional committees are major brokers of funding for social care workforce development.