The council has announced plans for 100 new apprenticeships over the next year. Council leader Catherine West said they are in talks with construction companies to provide the positions. “I’d like to see more of Islington’s 10,000 plus businesses offering similar opportunities and am delighted that I’m already hearing from local companies who want to do more,” she said.
A government report published last week called for employers to be given funding to provide apprenticeships. Written by Alison Wolf of King’s College London, it criticised the current system for overvaluing academic qualifications.
Many of the apprenticeships in Islington will be provided as part of promises that developers make to contribute to the borough when planning permission is granted.
A significant example of such an agreement is the Construction Skills Centre in King’s Cross, built as part of the area’s redevelopment. The £2m project opened in 2009 and provides training for 100 people who live within a one kilometre radius of the site, benefiting both Camden and Islington
The council itself also provides 70 apprenticeships for Islington residents, and Ms West said she hopes they will be able to offer another 50 such positions.
