Our very own Fiona Gamwell is appointed as apprenticeship ambassador

The Education, Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) has appointed our very own Fiona Gamwell to the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network.

Fiona, who is well known to many of our clients for helping them to navigate the complexities of the skills and training system, has joined the government agency’s network for Yorkshire and the Humber.

In her role, Fiona will bring to bear Hudson Contract’s extensive experience of apprenticeships with construction SMEs and share insights about the state of play on the east coast of Yorkshire.

She will be sharing details of our simple but effective sponsorship scheme for local teenagers to learn skills and embark on careers in construction, in which we pay a wage contribution of £50 per apprentice per week for the first year of training with local employers. To date, more than 210 people have benefited.

In her work as Hudson Contract’s apprenticeship lead, Fiona has gained detailed knowledge and understanding of the Apprenticeship Levy and how to transfer unused funds to help construction SMEs recruit new apprentices.

Fiona said: “Taking the first steps to take on an apprentice can be daunting for smaller companies but there is plenty of help and funding available to support training costs. Many of our clients who own and manage specialist subcontractors started out as apprentices themselves and want to give something back by passing on valuable trade skills to young people.

“The age profile in the industry is certainly getting older so we all need to play our part by encouraging new recruits. Construction offers lots of very good opportunities for well-paid and rewarding work.”

Hudson Contract has launched a website to help employers and young people who are new to apprenticeships: click here

The Apprenticeship Ambassador Network is a group of employers whose main aim is to spearhead the drive to engage new employers to commit to apprenticeship delivery in England. They are chosen because they demonstrate a high commitment to apprenticeships and have a high profile in their sector or geographical area.