Funding from the Education & Skills Funding Agency will enable St Helens Chamber to deliver traineeship programmes to 19 to 24-year-olds in St Helens and Liverpool. Tony McDonough reports

St Helens Chamber has won a new contract to deliver training for young adults in St Helens and Liverpool.

It has secured funding from the Education & Skills Funding Agency to continue offering its successful Fast-track to Apprenticeships scheme which offers traineeship programmes to 19 to 24-year-olds.

It has already enabled hundreds more young people across St Helens and Liverpool to secure apprenticeships and jobs. St Helens Chamber has a long history and successful track record of supporting young people into work, and currently supports around 200 16-24 year olds each year.

Laura Brogden, head of career development at St Helens Chamber, said: “We are delighted to have been able to secure this new contract, which will allow us to continue offering our services to 19 to 24-year-olds, in addition to 16 to 18-year-olds.

“Our Fast-tack to Apprenticeship courses help to prepare young people for what to expect in the workplace and ensure that they are ready to meet the demands of employers and make a valuable contribution from day one of their apprenticeship or other employment, by combining classroom based employability training with valuable work experience.

“Our range of programmes are delivered from our head office in St Helens, our dedicated construction training centre, our Hair & Beauty Academy and our Liverpool city centre office and provide our students with excellent onward progression opportunities, with 85% going on to secure apprenticeship positions or other employment.”

Programmes start regularly and are continuing remotely during the lockdown period. To find out more click here or email apprenticeships@sthelenschamber.com