Lancashire education providers help apprentices take giant ‘LEAP’ into career development

UCLan will lead local education providers in supporting apprentices throughout Lancashire

Education providers in Lancashire are coming together to help boost the county’s support for apprentices.

Led by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), the Lancashire Engaging Apprentices Programme (LEAP) will provide additional support for apprentices and employers based throughout the county’s small and medium sized enterprises.

The programme, which has been given £2.26m from the European Social Fund (ESF), will also coordinate the operational delivery of the new Lancashire Levy Transfer Network.

Martin Sadler, ESF Consortium Manager for UCLan’s Executive Education and Leadership Hub, said: “LEAP is focused on delivering additional learning and training opportunities, while providing support, coaching, and mentoring.

“It will establish additional bridging programmes to help apprentices progress to higher level apprenticeships and it will offer individual mentoring and pastoral support. Learning and training, not already included in current apprenticeship standard content, will be created to support career development and progression so apprentices can move into sustainable careers.”

The UCLan led consortium involves Blackburn College, Blackpool and the Fylde College, Burnley College, Lancaster and Morecambe College, Lancashire Work Based Learning Forum, Myerscough College and North Lancs Training Group.

Martin added: “This large-scale pan-Lancashire project will support the key local and national priorities to recruit and retain more apprentices and encourage progression to higher level training and education.

“It will contribute to Lancashire’s sustained economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic and will enable larger companies to transfer their Apprentice Levy funds to smaller business to support their apprentices. This will enable the achievement of the Lancashire Apprentice Strategy and will build the skills of people working in Lancashire businesses.”

The scheme’s funding will run until the end of December 2023.

For more information contact Martin Sadler at [email protected] or Charlotte Duffell, LEAP Project Manager, at [email protected]