Calderdale College and Covéa Insurance celebrate 10 years of apprenticeship recruitment partnership

Covéa will be working with Calderdale College as part of its Collaborative Apprenticeships project, which seeks to increase the quantity and improve the quality of apprenticeships in the Calderdale area.

This marks the 10th year that the two have worked together, with the college regularly supporting Covéa to recruit its own apprentices and set up new apprenticeship routes, including bespoke apprenticeship programmes.

Since 2017 and the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, Calderdale College has also worked with Covéa to help them maximise their levy funding through recruiting new apprentices and introducing internal development plans, as well as helping them to provide financial support to smaller businesses in the region by transferring their unused levy funds.

Covéa has hired over 200 apprentices in the last 10 years, and has supported 11 local SMEs to recruit their own apprentices through levy transfer. It has already pledged £177k to SMEs to help them recruit apprentices, with plans to invest a further £80k this financial year.

Commenting on the partnership, Claire Williams, Head of Employer Engagement at Calderdale College, said: “We’re really proud of the strong relationship that we have developed with Covéa, as a leading employer within our region, over the last 10 years. There are still a lot of misconceptions around apprenticeships, with many employers unaware that they can also be used for the professional development of currently employed staff.

“Additionally, many smaller employers aren’t aware that they may be able to access additional funds for training and development through levy transfer. Calderdale College makes the transfer process as seamless as possible by supporting with all of the administrative requirements, as well as subsequently helping with the recruitment of the apprentices themselves. We’d encourage any local business looking at either transferring funds or accessing additional financial support to get in touch and see how we can help.”

Matthew Metcalfe, Senior Manager – Talent Acquisition at Covéa Insurance, added: “As a large employer, it can often be difficult to spend your levy in its entirety. At Covéa, we’re passionate about empowering the community, not just through our own apprenticeship routes, but also through investing more widely in the region’s skills through levy transfers.

“Calderdale College has been a fantastic partner in helping us to do so, and we look forward to continuing to work together to help address social mobility challenges and give talented people the opportunity to build a fulfilling career.”

The Collaborative Apprenticeships project is managed by the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (WYCC) and funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). Calderdale College is supporting the delivery of the project in partnership with local employers and training providers.

To find out more about the Collaborative Apprenticeships programme, and what fully-funded training and support is available for businesses and apprentices visit: https://www.calderdale.ac.uk/collaborative-apprenticeships/.

Or view all live Collaborative Apprenticeships courses here: Courses · West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (westyorkshirecolleges.co.uk).