Government backs VAR Freedom's £2m apprentice plan

Comms player receives funding support for ambitious talent-development scheme with local college

Comms specialist Freedom Communications is to receive government backing for its £2m scheme to work with local education establishments on its apprenticeship programme.

The Watford-based Microsoft, HP, and Alcatel-Lucent partner is to work with local sixth form and further education provider West Herts College on a Higher Apprenticeship programme. At their highest level, Higher Apprentice courses provide qualifications equivalent to a master's degree.

Students on the programme, which will cover both technical and business skills, will be offered opportunities to undertake work experience. Freedom hopes the initiative will create "a sustainable talent pipeline", while giving students a leg-up in their future career or higher education prospects.

The investment being made by Freedom will be supported by funding from the Employer Ownership Pilot, which is run by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. According to the announcement issued today, the initiative has a trio of core objectives, the first being to boost the wider business sphere by creating new talent. The second is to give the existing workforce the chance to "future-proof career prospects" by developing new skills, and the third is to establish Freedom as an attractive employer that can recruit, develop, and retain talented staff.

Freedom's operations director Lisa Clark, who is overseeing the design and delivery of the project, said: "Having identified the growing skills gap within our industry, Freedom is delighted to have the support of HM Government's Employer Ownership Funding in the creation of a sustainable talent pipeline. Through this project, Freedom will develop a unique technical workforce that will help drive business and economic growth."