Covéa will work with Calderdale College as part of its Collaborative Apprenticeships project, which aims to increase the quantity and improve the quality of apprenticeships in the Calderdale region.
This is the 10th year that the two have worked together, with the college regularly supporting Covéa in recruiting its own apprentices and setting up new learning paths, including tailor-made apprenticeship programmes.
Since 2017 and the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, Calderdale College has also worked with Covéa to help them maximize their levy funding by recruiting new apprentices and introducing internal development plans, as well as helping them to provide financial support to small businesses in the region by transferring their unused levy funds.
Covéa has hired more than 200 apprentices over the past 10 years and has supported 11 local SMEs to recruit their own apprentices by direct debit transfer. It has already pledged £177,000 to SMEs to help them recruit apprentices, and plans to invest a further £80,000 this financial year.
Commenting on the partnership, Claire Williams, Head of Employer Engagement at Calderdale College, said: “We are truly proud of the strong relationship we have developed with Covéa, as a leading employer in our region, in over the past 10 years. There are still many misconceptions around apprenticeship, with many employers unaware that it can also be used for the professional development of currently employed staff.
“In addition, many small employers are unaware that they can access additional funds for training and development through the levy transfer. Calderdale College makes the transfer process as seamless as possible by taking care of all administrative requirements, as well as helping with the recruitment of the apprentices themselves afterwards. We encourage any local business wishing to transfer funds or access additional financial support to contact us and see how we can help. »
Matthew Metcalfe, Senior Director – Talent Acquisition at Covéa Assurances, added: “As a large employer, it can often be difficult to spend your levy in full. At Covéa, we are passionate about empowering the community, not only through our own learning journeys, but also by investing more broadly in territorial skills through tax transfers.
“Calderdale College has been a fantastic partner in helping us do this, and we look forward to continuing to work together to help meet the challenges of social mobility and give talented people the opportunity to build fulfilling careers.”
The collaborative learning project is run by the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (WYCC) and funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). Calderdale College is supporting the delivery of the project in partnership with local employers and training providers.
To find out more about the Collaborative Apprenticeship Scheme and the fully funded training and support available to businesses and apprentices, visit: https://www.calderdale.ac.uk/collaborative-apprenticeships/.
Or view all live collaborative learning courses here: Courses West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (westyorkshirecolleges.co.uk).
