Livewell Southwest has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Apprenticeship Development Award category of this year’s Plymouth Business Awards (formerly the Herald Business Awards).
The awards, which will be presented at a celebration on 17 May 2019, recognise the organisations “driving Britain’s Ocean City forward” by making significant economic, cultural and social contributions to the city.
Health and social care community interest company Livewell Southwest employs almost 3,000 people in Plymouth and surrounding areas. It uses an annual fund of £450,000 to expand its development of new, and existing, staff through a dedicated apprenticeship scheme.
The scheme has already received national recognition in a letter from the Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills, Anne Milton MP, which named Livewell Southwest as ‘one of the top performing apprenticeship employers’ in the country.
Livewell now hopes to secure further recognition for its commitment to apprenticeships, with a win at the Plymouth Business Awards.
“Our apprenticeship scheme gives people the chance to gain professional qualifications – regardless of their personal circumstances,” explained Dawn Slater, Livewell Southwest’s director of people and professionalism.
“We aim to work with schools and training providers, colleges and welfare to work schemes to enable people to gain not just a job, but a vocation.
“Through paying £7.05 an hour, well above the national minimum apprenticeship wage rate, we can support career changes and give people a chance to step out of unemployment. Getting people into, or back into, work has huge benefits for their health, wellbeing and contentment and to offer employment with a meaningful wage and a qualification is something we consider to be our social responsibility.
“To say we are delighted to have been shortlisted for this year’s Plymouth Business Awards is an understatement.”
So far, Livewell’s apprenticeship scheme has delivered:
- 91 apprenticeships across 14 different apprenticeship standards and frameworks
- A pioneering pilot site for the national Nursing Associate programme
- Fully-funded career pathways from entry level to degree qualified nursing with no study debt and a salary.
