Press Releases
The Western Training Provider Network are a not-for-profit organization that connect education, business and training. We are on a mission to inspire and support businesses and individuals in the West of England to maximise their potential through apprenticeships. We work with schools, parents and employers to drive our mission. We also manage a network of 35 training providers who deliver the majority of apprenticeships in the region.
 Event held to celebrate the impact of the West of England region’s apprenticeship levy share schemeOn Wednesday 10th May, the Western Training Provider Network, which manages the region’s ‘Share to Support’ apprenticeship levy share scheme on behalf of the West of England Combined Authority, brought together both apprentices who had received funding for their training and larger employers who had gifted it to them. |  Skills boost: up to £3 million pledged for West of England apprenticeshipsThe UK’s leading home improvement retailer B&Q has joined the growing list of big West of England employers who have pledged to invest in apprentices by joining the “Share to Support” scheme run by the West of England Combined Authority and The Western Training Provider Network. The scheme sees apprentice-levy paying employers passing on their unused levy funds so that more apprenticeships can be created by small employers – a boon for the West. |  #SharetoSupport Fund LaunchedThe Western Training Provider Network and the West of England Combined Authority are launching a new scheme to support apprenticeships. The Share to Support fund will support the recovery of smaller businesses in the region through skills support. The campaign is being delivered as part of the larger Workforce for the Future Programme, co-funded by the West of England Combined Authority and the European Social Fund. Businesses that have already pledged include Bristol City Council. |
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 Apprenticeship Fund Hits £1m MarkOver a million pounds has been pledged to help people across the West of England develop new skills through apprenticeships. This money is now available to support training costs for small businesses to take on new apprentices or develop the skills and prospects of existing members of staff. The money has been pledged to the region’s Share to Support scheme, which is run by the West of England Combined Authority and The Western Training Provider Network. |  #SharetoSupport: Southern Co-opThe West of England Combined Authority and Western Training Provider Network (WTPN) launched Share to Support in the spring, as part of the Workforce for the Future Programme, to help smaller businesses recover through funding new apprenticeships. One of the latest employers to join the scheme is Southern Co-op – a regional, independent co-operative which has pledged £50,000 to the fund to support small businesses to engage with apprenticeships. |  #SharetoSupport Reaches £100kWest of England apprenticeships fund receives six-figure pledges. The Share to Support scheme allows unused levy funds to be passed on to smaller firms in the region. A total of £100,000 has been pledged during this year’s National Apprenticeship Week to a scheme helping people across the West of England to develop new skills. Last week Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council and the Southern Co-Op agreed to share £75,000 and £25,000 respectively. |
As part of the Workforce for the Future Programme we offer a range of fully funded apprenticeship services for local SMEs including:
The West of England Apprenticeship Service: Fully funded, impartial advice and guidance for small businesses looking to engage with apprenticeships. Our team of apprenticeship specialists help businesses across the region to understand how they can embed apprenticeships into their business to recruit, retain and develop their team.
Are you looking to take on an apprentice, or keen to understand your options for recruiting an apprentice or upskilling your team? Get in touch with our team. Funded by the West of England Combined Authority, we offer a free and independent apprenticeship support service for small businesses in the West of England. We can also help you understand apprenticeship opportunities available for your sector and support you to access apprenticeship funding support through the Share to Support scheme. Get in touch to talk about how we can support you: apprenticeships@wtpn.org.uk
Share to Support – Funding Support for Businesses: Through the Share to Support scheme you can access funding support from large employers to cover the cost of your apprentice’s training (excluding wages). You could be getting fully funded support to train apprentices, either new or existing staff in your organisation.
The Share to Support Fund is coordinated by the Western Training Provider Network and supported by the West of England Combined Authority as part of the Workforce for the Future programme. Workforce for the Future is an £8m programme – co-funded by the West of England Combined Authority and the European Social Fund (ESF) – the free service works with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through one to one support the programme is helping businesses to identify ways to stabilise, grow, adapt and understand the skills and training needs required to meet their business goals. Find out more information about Workforce for the Future here.
