Kirklees Council currently employs over 100 apprentices on its award-winning apprenticeship scheme.

The scheme which has been running for over 25 years supports the local economy, provides residents with new opportunities and helps the council to develop a workforce for the future.

Our apprenticeships are recognised as being some of the best in the country; our apprentices have received a number of national awards this year, including the National Apprentice of the Year from the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and Direct Works Forum Annual Apprenticeship Award.

Apprenticeships are an excellent way to gain a qualification and workplace experience. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and you gain practical skills from the workplace. Find out more about the benefits of apprenticeships:

• Apprenticeships: Apprentices (external link)

Anyone can apply for an apprenticeship, whether you are looking for a new career or starting straight from school or college, an apprenticeship can be a rewarding opportunity to learn new skills and build a future career whilst getting paid and gaining a qualification.

Julie Turner, a catering apprentice based at Battyeford Primary School in Mirfield, has not looked back since she joined the scheme.

Julie says: "I applied to be an apprentice because I no longer enjoyed my job and didn't see a future continuing with what I was doing. This apprenticeship has helped me start a new career from scratch, I feel I've come along way in the short time I've been doing it, and I now know I want to spend the rest of my working years in catering of one form or another.

It's a great way to get into the industry for people of any age, whether new to working life, or starting again like me. It's an opportunity to learn the job with support, there’s always someone there to ask for help and by attending college at the same time I get the chance to learn the theory side of catering, and obtain a qualification."

Apprenticeships can help businesses across all industries by offering a route to harness fresh talent. If you have trained staff with the right skills for the job they can do a wider range of tasks and take on new responsibilities - this can help to reduce skill shortages, minimise staff turnover and workplace accidents, and increase productivity.

If you are based in Kirklees and want to recruit apprentices, call Sue Weston on 01484 221547 or email skills@kirklees.gov.uk

More details about the benefits and details of taking on apprentices:

• Apprenticeships: Employers (external link)