UKFast and ANS call truce to save stricken apprentices

Bosses Scott Fletcher and Lawrence Jones pull together over reported layoffs at Mancunian tech firm

UKFast and ANS have temporarily put aside their differences and are pulling together in a bid to rescue hundreds of apprentices whose future at a fellow Mancunian tech firm are reportedly under threat.

According to the Manchester Evening News, about 300 workers - including 180 apprentices - at Bright Future Software, a software development firm based in Manchester's MediaCity UK, were told to clear their desks last Wednesday.

Bright Future Software did not immediately return our calls for comment, although in another report today its CEO suggested the firm is still hoping to find a solution to its cashflow problems.

UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones confirmed to CRN that his company has committed to taking on 50 Bright Future apprentices and is holding an open day at its offices on Wednesday aimed at those affected.

But in an unorthodox move, Jones has called on Scott Fletcher (pictured above left, with Jones), chairman of fellow Mancunian tech supplier ANS - with which it has shared a healthy rivalry with down the years - to give one of the presentations.

Jones said he had engaged with 20 to 30 local businesses over the weekend and this morning in relation to the event, which will offer attendees psychometric testing and help with CV writing.

"We have agreed to take on 50 apprentices, subject to certain terms," he said.

"You can only do so much on your own though, so it's lovely to see the whole community working together to solve the problem."

Fletcher, who has been an outspoken supporter of apprentices in the past, added: "It's quite unusual for IT businesses to work together in this way, but sometimes the greater good is more important."

He added: "We will take on a handful, but more importantly, this is about IT businesses in Manchester pulling together to help out these kids. There is an obvious need to get these young people into the industry, so let's do what we can."

However, Jones said it is currently unclear how many of those affected have a genuine interest working in the tech sector.

"We are taking on one of [Bright Future's] old teachers and he said that they went for volume because they knew they were going to get money back from the government to place these candidates," he said. "It was a volume game and less about whether these kids want to be programmers. But we are hoping that some of them will be flexible and look to swap the apprenticeship into more of an IT-related one as that widens the scope and opens up a much bigger door for us."