Wigan Council apprenticeship programme celebrates FAB success

Wigan Council apprenticeship programme celebrates FAB success

FAB Apprentice with Councillor David Molyneux MBE

A new Wigan Council scheme aimed at creating career opportunities and supporting local businesses is making an impact

The Future Apprentices for Business (FAB) programme was launched earlier this year, providing grant funding for firms to create new roles.

More than 50 are signed up and MacKenzi Hook-Peake – the very first FAB apprentice in the borough – was visited by the Leader of Wigan Council at Leigh’s Rullgardin Bespoke Blinds.

Councillor David Molyneux MBE, said: “It has been a real pleasure to meet Mackenzi and his bosses here at Rullgardin and hear all about how the FAB scheme has worked for them.

“I am a huge supporter of apprenticeships. We have invested nearly £2m in apprentice schemes in recent years, with more than 500 young people starting apprenticeships with local businesses and the FAB programme is building on this.

“I hope other local businesses are inspired by Mackenzi and everyone at Rullgardin to get involved. Apprenticeships are a win:win for local people and local businesses; creating opportunities to learn and start a new career and earn money while doing it, and enabling business to build and develop skills for their future workforce.”

There are two levels of grant available to local businesses through the FAB programme; the £3k basic grant, and a £5k enhanced grant available to businesses that select their apprentice from the council’s talent pool.

The talent pool is made up of a selection of apprentice-ready young people identified by our employment and skills programmes, including looked after children and care leavers, young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and those who are not in employment, education or training.

Sarah Worthington from Rullgardin Bespoke Blinds, said: “We have worked with the council’s business engagement team for a few years now, and we were really keen to expand our workforce and create opportunities for young people to join us.

“We applied for the FAB scheme through the council’s talent pool and met Mackenzi who became the first FAB apprentice to be recruited as part of the scheme back in March.

“The process was really easy, the business engagement team are always on hand, they are really helpful and guided us through it, there’s not many forms to complete and doesn’t take too much time to do! I would recommend it to anyone thinking of taking on an apprentice.

“Mackenzi has settled in really well, learning new skills every day and gaining knowledge to help him achieve his qualification at the end of the apprenticeship and he’s now part of the Rullgardin Bespoke Blinds family.”

Mackenzi, 18 from Atherton, said: “Ever since my induction at Rullgardin Bespoke Blinds, I've found the apprenticeship to be homely, interactive and challenging enough to be rewarding. I have also received support from both of my employers in many ways, one of which being their humanity to my forgetfulness, providing me with a notebook to track down tasks and keep them in mind.”

Applications are still open for business to access the FAB grant funding.

Wigan Council has also recently been recognised as a top 100 apprenticeship employer - the only council in the country to receive the accolade in 2023.