Evolve Your Business - Employer Guide

SMB College Group

EV LVE YOUR BUSINESS. EMPLOYER GUIDE #Oneofthefamily smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

CONTENTS

2

Welcome

4

How can we help you?

6

Why choose us?

12

Apprenticeships

14

T Levels

16

What do our employers say?

18

Apprenticeship case studies

20

Useful links

22

Contact us

23

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

3

WELCOME. Welcome to the SMB College Group Employer Guide!

We are proud to have been a leading provider for apprenticeships and business training for several generations, supporting businesses and communities both locally and nationally.

We are delighted to introduce you to an exciting opportunity for your business to partner with us in shaping the workforce of tomorrow. As a leading educational institution specialising in apprenticeships, work experience, and T-Levels, we are committed to bridging the gap between education and industry.

We have excellent employer links and long-term partnerships with a wide range of organisations across a number of sectors. These include Worcester Bosch, Barratt Homes, Leicester Tigers, Linde, Resideo, Redrow Homes and many more.

By joining forces with SMB College Group, you’ll not only gain access to a pool of motivated and skilled young talents but also play a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of professionals. This guide is your gateway to discovering the ways in which our college can collaborate with your organisation, creating a mutually beneficial partnership that paves the way for success. Together, let’s build a brighter future for both your business and the workforce of tomorrow.

Dawn Whitemore, CEO and Principal of SMB College Group

#Oneofthefamily 4

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

5

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? We want to help you build the workforce of the future by working together, developing the skills of your workforce, and helping to recruit the employees that your business needs to continue growing and evolving!

Recruit and Train Apprentices We understand how stressful recruiting an apprentice can be, with so many options and limited time. To help you with this, we offer a free apprentice recruitment service, handling all the steps of recruitment for you.

Upskill Your Existing Staff Whatever your training needs, we undertake a full skills analysis to understand your business requirements, then work with you to train your staff. We provide a range of professionally accredited courses from free distance learning programmes to short professional courses, to apprenticeships and degrees.

6

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

7

Maximise your Levy We have delivered thousands of apprenticeships for some of the biggest employers both locally and nationally - so you can rest assured we know our stuff and can help you deliver an apprenticeship programme that maximises your levy while training the staff that you want to a highquality standard.

For further information on the Apprenticeship Levy and individually tailored support, get in touch with our Apprenticeship Team.

Employer Forums

Full Training Needs Analysis A training needs analysis identifies gaps in knowledge or skills and the training required for employees to perform their duties to a high standard. We start by looking at your overall organisational goals and considering the skills required by employees to meet these goals. We will then work alongside you to develop a bespoke training programme to meet the needs of your staff and your business.

Take on a work placement

Take on a work placement

Taking on a work placement is similar to taking on an apprentice but there is no formal training or accreditation attached. Work placements are very short opportunities allowing somebody to observe the inner workings of your organisation and gain basic experience and understanding of a role and a workplace.

8

We hold Employer Forums monthly to provide an open and informative round table discussion about how students can support business needs and the needs of the local economy. This vital information will then help us to design our future curriculum for students and apprentices.

Check out our website to keep updated on our events and forum dates.

Opportunities for Guest Speaker Slots and Sponsorships Sponsorships give you the opportunity to raise your profile among young people, allowing them to get ahead by becoming familiar with your equipment early. We also encourage guest speakers to come in and give students an insight into your business.

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

9

2023

In 2023 the College won the Nachural Entrepreneurship Award for Promoting Apprenticeships, recognising the excellent work that we have undertaken to build sustainable, ambitious workforces that are wellequipped for the future.

2022

In 2022 we won Apprenticeship Provider of the Year at the AAC Apprenticeship Awards, recognising our excellent apprenticeship delivery in partnership with Barratt Developments, one of the UK’s top home builders.

WHY CHOOSE US?

At SMB College Group our students are at the heart of every decision we make, with high levels of student achievement, positive progression and successful first steps into the world of work.

A critical part of our success is our approach to working with employers. We understand the industries we work with and we work hand in hand to devise solutions that are both quality driven and financially viable for both parties.

10

Our values are at the core of our decision making, we believe in resilience, ambition, innovation, sustainability and excellence in all aspects of our college, if you align with our values and are interested in understanding the benefits of working with SMB College Group, get in touch with one of our knowledgeable team members today!

11

APPRENTICESHIPS

The delivery of our apprenticeships is planned with our employers in mind. The college works with national employers from all over the UK to deliver apprenticeship training across their various sites and sectors within their business. Through our employer forums we are able to design apprenticeship delivery models that work for local and national employers taking into account the variations in industry needs.

How do I employ an apprentice?

Small Businesses

•

To support the growth of small businesses and ensure you can access the benefits of taking on apprentices, the government offers a small employer incentive. This means that the Government will fund 100% of your training if your company employs less than 50 people and your apprentice is aged 16-18 (or 19-24 with a care plan).

• • • •

Choose an apprenticeship for your business or organisation.

Work with SMB College Group to find the right apprentice for you.

We will then advise you on what funding you can get and help you to manage your funding.

Make an apprenticeship agreement and training plan with your chosen apprentice.

Your apprentice will then come and work for you, while attending College for 20% off the job training either on a Day Release or Block Release.

Grants and Funding

We offer a range of courses for students to take apprenticeships in, ranging from Automotive, Civil Engineering and HGV to Countryside Land Management, with more being introduced in the near future. Scan the QR code below to see the full list of subject areas we can offer:

When it comes to training apprentices, government funding is available to support you and may cover up to 100% of the cost of training. If you are employing an apprentice under the age of 25, you may also be eligible for other advantages. For hiring an apprentice aged 1618 (or those aged 19-24 with a care plan), employers may receive a £1000 incentive.

Grants will be processed through the Apprenticeship Service. There is no limit on the number of incentive payments that can be claimed for new apprentices, as long as they are eligible.

12

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

13

APPRENTICESHIP CASE STUDIES SMB College Group Apprenticeship Student Announced as Finalist for Young Builder of the Year 2023!

SMB College Group Student and Barratt Homes Bricklaying Apprentice, Greg Kemp, was announced as a finalist for Youthbuild UK’s Young Builder of the Year 2023!

The Young Builder of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements of young people, who despite having to overcome a range of challenges, have succeeded in training for and gaining employment in the construction industry.

In an interview with Youthbuild UK, Greg said “I thought everything I was doing wasn’t contributing to anything, I thought I was going backwards at one point and that all the work I was putting in wasn’t being shown. But out of the blue I got a message saying I was nominated, that my Tutor thought I was deserving and all the work I was putting in was starting to show back, it’s blown me away.”

Read more here:

14

15

T LEVELS T-Levels have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses to ensure the course content meets the needs of industry with each one equivalent to 3 A Levels.

Students will spend 80% of their course at college and 20% in an industry placement which amounts to at least 45 days. T Levels are like an extended work placement and employers get early insight into the new talent of their industry without having to take on a full-time apprentice.

certain business costs, like time invested in planning, training and supervising, and you can choose to pay the student if you wish.

T Level industry placements are a free government scheme, so you don’t need to pay to take on a T Level student for a placement. There may be

•

Taking on a student for their industry placement can have huge benefits for your company, such as:

• • • •

16

Similarly to employing an apprentice, SMB College Group will help you with every step along the way, offering support for both employer and student throughout the industry placement.

The opportunity to train grassroots talent to suit your business needs.

A solution to entry-level job shortages.

Minimise the cost of recruitment by working with a local college.

Develop the mentoring and management skills of your team.

A fresh perspective with new ideas.

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

17

WHAT DO OUR EMPLOYERS SAY?

We work with hundreds of local SMEs, nationally and internationally recognised companies, and organisations across many industry sectors. Here is what some of our employers have to say!

Quiet Storm have been working closely with SMB College Group over the past year to address the serious skills gap within North West Leicestershire and the East Midlands in general. SMB College Group understands the needs of business and talk our language, which is really refreshing as most FE providers don’t really understand the business world and the challenges we face when recruiting.

Phil Megson, Director, QuietStorm and Love Business East Midlands

18

19

SMB College Group effectively engage with the Leicestershire business community to understand future skills needs of the private sector and strive to meet this by continuously evolving their curriculum to meet these demands.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber

‘Worcester Bosch’s is delighted to be in Partnership with SMB College Group; placing a strong emphasis on training, which is mutually beneficial to both the college and ourselves.

With the significant changes within the heating industry needed to reach zero carbon by 2050; manufacturers, education establishments as well as the wider industry need work together to support skilled engineers of the future.

The Worcester Bosch’s College Links programme enables our experienced Engineers to train SMB students on existing and new technologies to help them meet the challenges of the future which for us is essential for the future of the industry.

The collaboration with SMB Group will help students excel and be inspired by our training programmes ensuring they are relevant, to the latest standards in the ever-evolving market.’

Mark Durrans, Training Manager at Worcester Bosch

20

We work with the SMB College Group on a range of higher degree level apprenticeships.

The programmes are very much employerled by learning on the job. Learning key skills and developing fantastic qualifications to progress up the career ladder.

We firmly believe that young individuals are the way forward and the future, without them we would not be an industry leader within house building.

Apprenticeship and New Entrants Manager at Redrow

21

USEFUL LINKS Scan the Qr code for links to: • • • •

Employing an apprentice How to register and use the apprenticeship service as an employer Sign in to your apprenticeship account Employer T-Levels

GET IN CONTACT If you want to make a difference to the workforce of the future, you can help us work with students to provide them with amazing new opportunities, through programmes and apprenticeships or talks and student visits. There are endless opportunities when working with SMB College Group.

Get in touch with one of our knowledgeable team members to find out more about working with the College!

Apprenticeships: apprenticeships@smbgroup.ac.uk 01530 519 001 Work Experience: workexperience@smbgroup.ac.uk Enquiries: enquiries@smbgroup.ac.uk 01530 836 136 smbgroup.ac.uk/employers

22

smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

23

SMB College Group

#Oneofthefamily smbcollegegroup.ac.uk

24