Glasgow city council offers training opportunities

12:50 9th April 2009

Glasgow city council is to announce a new apprenticeship drive by providing up to £8,000 for each placement provided by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The money will be used by SMEs to fund apprenticeship training and is part of the Commonwealth Apprenticeship Initiative, which has a fund of £10 million for qualified school-leaver placements, reports the Herald.

Authorities are planning to put at least 500 Glasgow pupils into the apprenticeship programme this year, in a move which could encourage more young people to progress to programming courses and IT training.

Steven Purcell, leader of the council, told the paper: "One of the biggest mistakes made in Glasgow in the past was to fail to invest in training and young people during difficult economic times. I am doing everything I can to make sure that mistake is not repeated."

He added that the 2014 Commonwealth Games are a significant motivating factor in ensuring everyone has access to a range of opportunities in Glasgow.

The Chartered Management Institute recently said that management training should remain a priority for businesses during the recession.