Stockport Labour Group’s calls for more high quality apprenticeships to be created received all-party support at Stockport Council’s Full Council on Thursday 23rd January 2014.
Following the unanimous vote of Council, work will be carried out to see how procurement rules can be amended so that companies winning contracts with the Council will be asked to offer high quality apprenticeships. A proportion of the apprenticeships must be ‘Higher’ or ‘Advanced’ status and they must be advertised locally.
A report looking at the issues involved will be discussed in March and a final plan for implementation will come to the Full Council Meeting in April.
Labour councillors first suggested that Council contracts should attract apprenticeships at the Full Council Meeting in November, but our original motion was withdrawn so that input from other parties could be considered. Thankfully, a joint approach was found to allow us deliver a boost for young people in Stockport.
Cllr David Sedgwick, who co-signed the motion, commented: “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to work with the other parties to secure agreement for the Council to look at its procurement practices and how we can secure more high quality apprenticeships.
“Delivering quality apprenticeships was the aim of our original motion, and I’m pleased that the core points of that motion were retained.”