Apprentices working at Croydon Council are now being paid the London Living Wage, as the authority continues to invest in the borough and the people living within it.
Following a pay review, all apprentices will now be paid at least £10.55 an hour – with the pay increase being backdated to 1 April of this year.
This increase means all apprentices employed by the council will be paid at least an annual salary of £19,750, enabling more of the borough’s residents to be financially independent.
This investment in the council’s apprentices comes as support for the council’s 100 in 100 campaign, which aims to fill 100 apprenticeship vacancies locally in 100 days, continues to pick up support from employers across the borough.
The campaign will give employers the opportunity to increase productivity and reduce training and recruitment costs by hiring and developing skilled and motivated local apprentices.
The campaign starts on 5 August and so far more than 60 places have been pledged by businesses across the borough.
The Croydon Apprenticeship Academy, a virtual partnership of providers, businesses and the council, will provide support to those pledging positions for the campaign to make hiring apprentices as simple as possible.
Up to 100% of apprenticeship training costs could be covered for employers, with recruitment support also available through Croydon’s free job brokerage service, Croydon Works.
“Our apprentices are wonderful ambassadors for the council and it is only right we should be paying them the London Living Wage.
“100 in 100 is a really exciting campaign. We’ve already got a good level of support from businesses, but we’re still looking for more people to sign up and offer opportunities to employ highly-motivated Croydon residents who could bring something new to your company.
“There is plenty of support available for businesses to make taking on an apprentice as simple as possible. All they need to do is get in touch with us and we can work from there.”
Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, cabinet member for economy and jobs
For more information, and to sign up, employers should contact Gurvinder.Doal@croydon.gov.uk
Those wishing to apply to become apprentices should register online at www.croydonworks.co.uk
Croydon Council’s apprenticeship programme has been recognised nationally, winning at both the enei (Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion) Awards and Personnel Today Awards last year. Our apprentices are the face of the council’s Choose Your Future campaign, which supports young people to make positive choices and give them access to opportunities.
