Theo Paphitis
ncn Retail Apprenticeships contribute to national record
Theo Paphitis called for more Nottinghamshire retailers to take up the programme during Apprenticeship Week
New College Nottingham (ncn) helped Apprenticeships rise to record levels in the retail sector last year, figures released this week revealed.
The training provider, which is part of the National Skills Academy for Retail, delivered 24 Retail Apprenticeships last year - contributing to a 31 percent rise across the country.
The news came during Apprenticeship Week; a five day celebration of Apprentices running from Monday 1 February to Friday 5 February 2010.
Theo Paphitis, star of BBC2’s hit show Dragons’ Den, and Chairman of stationery specialists Ryman, applauded ncn on its involvement in Apprenticeships and called on Nottinghamshire retailers to explore the benefits during the week.
Theo Paphitis said: “Today’s news is yet another sign that retailers are continuing to realise the benefits of the programme. Apprenticeships are good for employers and good for businesses so I urge all Nottinghamshire retailers to think about the enormous value they can deliver.”
Jane Rexworthy, Head of the National Skills Academy, said:
“Retailers regularly tell us that Apprenticeships work for them as they allow their staff to learn on- the- job while getting the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to excel. Apprenticeship Week provides an excellent opportunity for retailers to find out more about the programme and I would urge businesses of all sizes to find out more about the what benefits they can bring.”
Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes and the majority of the training is ‘on-the-job.’ The programme takes between six to eighteen months to complete depending on the employee’s work experience and in many cases Government funding is available to support employers.
For more information on Retail Apprenticeships, visit the Retail Apprenticeships at ncn page.