Coronavirus: skills & community
Learn about funding and grants for skills & training and community organisations in the York and North Yorkshire region.
Skills
Employment Support Schemes
Traineeships
A traineeship is a skills development programme that includes a work placement. The full programme can last from 6 weeks to 1 year, though most traineeships are less than 6 months. If your business can offer at least 70 hours of safe, meaningful, and high-quality work experience you can claim £1000 per young person placement. You can claim up to 10 incentive payments per employer, per region for traineeship work placements between 1 September 2020 and 31 July 2022.
Check if you want to support a traineeship
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are jobs which combine practical on-the-job skills with sustained off-the-job learning, available from entry level to a master’s degree equivalent.
Apprenticeships spend 80% of their time in the workplace and at least 20% on off-the-job training in a setting that suits your business needs. This can be a college, a training provider, an institute, or even your place of business.
Learn more about hiring an apprentice
T Levels
T Levels offer businesses an opportunity to hire emerging talent by offering students an industry placement for 45 days (a minimum of 315 hours). You can claim £1000 for every T Level student you hire until July 2022. You can claim payment for up to 20 students who are starting their T Level placements now.
Check what you need to do to offer T Level placements
Additional local support for apprentices
Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Grant for Hambleton Businesses
There is a limited wage subsidy grant of £2,000 available for small businesses who are located in Hambleton to apply for. The apprentice must live in Hambleton and be aged between 16-24. This is in addition to any financial support gained from the Government.
Jobs Fuse
York & North Yorkshire Jobs Fuse brings the expertise of the National Careers Service, the Department for Work and Pensions and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub together to provide a one stop shop for both job seekers and local employers.
Learning Toolkit
Our learning toolkit helps individuals and businesses access the knowledge they need to progress and grow. In these challenging times, we are supporting employers by providing details of the online skills resources provided by our partners that will help build resilience in your business and your workforce.
DfE Skills Toolkit
DfE have launched the Skills Toolkit. This online platform gives people easy access to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses to help them build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects.
Help to Grow
Help to Grow: Management will give the leaders of 30,000 SMEs access to world-class training on everything from financial management to marketing.
Help to Grow: Digital will give small businesses free online technology advice and 50% discounts on new productivity enhancing software.
Read more: http://gov.uk/helptogrow
Community
Government guidance for the charity sector is available here.
Businesses, charities and community groups
- Two Ridings Community Foundation is working with the National Emergencies Trust to establish a fund with grants up to £2,000 to support community groups through this unprecedented time. The focus of the fund will be to offer community organisations emergency funding to deal with emerging issues in the community as a result of the continuing threat of coronavirus. Applications to this fund will be assessed on an ongoing basis subject to available funds. Apply here.
- Crowdfunder, the crowdfunding platform, has removed fees for charity and community group users during the crisis.
Articles
First York launches £20,000 fund to boost eco-friendly sales for small businesses
The York Go-Greener Fund will support small businesses' growth by helping them build on and develop sustainable products and services that directly appeal to consumers, helping them consider eco-friendly choices in what they buy.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022
9th - 15th May is Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual campaign that promotes open discussions about mental health. In our blog, we've collected some mental health and wellbeing resources to help you create a supportive work environment.
York St John opens new start-up centre to offer free help for businesses to innovate and grow
York St John University is delighted to announce the opening of dedicated city centre start-up facilities to support business in York. A partnership with the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub will also support local independent enterprise.
Resources
Free Webinar :Getting started with data protection: what every business needs to know
This webinar will take a simple look at some of the practical measures a business needs to put in place to help them comply with their UK GDPR obligations.
Featured Webinar Playlist: Wellbeing
Learn how to build resilience and communication, create a positive work environment, and support the mental health of both your team and yourself with our free wellbeing webinars playlist.
Grow Yorkshire: Introduction to Food and Drink Commercial Agreement
This Grow Yorkshire webinar, featuring presentations from partnering organisations, will introduce you to the new Crown Commercial Service Food and Drink Agreement and discuss how it can help you join the supply chain.