Dr Tehir Nadeem, owner of the Solihull Dental Practice, was one of the first small businesses to benefit from the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16-24 year olds (AGE 16-24).
He said: ‘AGE 16-24 has made the worthwhile decision to hire an apprentice even more cost effective. The grant helped meet the costs of taking on a new member of staff; in effect the grant is being re-invested into the business, to help it grow.’
And as the government has confirmed an extension of the (AGE16-24) to March 2014, there is now a £1,500 grant available to help businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees take on an apprentice.
Initially only on offer during the 2012/13 financial year, the funding has been extended following a positive response from employers.
It has also been increased so eligible employers can claim the grant for up to 10 apprentices.
Business Secretary, Vince Cable said: ‘I know it can be a big decision for busy, small companies to take on an apprentice. Employers may be concerned about the time recruitment and training will take, and anxious about how it will work. So, the £1500 grant is a token to acknowledge this and thank employers. I hope many more people will take us up on our cash incentive to grow their business, and train up the workforce of the future.’
To find out more about apprenticeships and AGE 16 -24, visit apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.
An apprenticeship in Dental Nursing
The Dental Nursing Advanced Level Apprenticeship is aimed at individuals who want to work as a dental nurse. An individual may be able to register with the GDC upon satisfactory completion of a recognised qualification, which includes the L3 Diploma in Dental Nursing (QCF). The average duration for completion of an Advanced Level Apprenticeship is 18 months.
According to data released at the end of 2012, there were more than 7,300 applications made for Apprenticeship in dental nursing during 2012 and 550 vacancies advertised on the National Apprenticeship Service’s Apprenticeships Vacancies database
