ANYONE can be an apprentice - that was the message at the Whitehill and Bordon Community Forum last Tuesday when members of the public quizzed East Hampshire District Council on its apprenticeship scheme.

Those at the community forum, at Whitehill Village Hall, heard about the benefits of apprenticeships; how employees can “earn while you learn”, and how employers can find the “ideal candidate”.

There was also a chance for people to speak to representatives from local businesses, training providers and the council.

District council leader Ferris Cowper said he was a “huge supporter of apprenticeships” and spoke about his pre-councillor life “in the real world”, when he worked at a number of large corporations, including at Mars as its European director.

Of all the things he learned during his career, he said, the biggest challenge was “getting the right people”.

“The right person with the right attitude can achieve anything,” he added.

This is why now, at the helm of a local authority, he is keen to promote apprenticeships which, by their very nature, allow employers to find and mould the right individual.

Mr Cowper stressed that the stereotype apprentice - a young adult, fresh out of school, college or university - was simply not an accurate one.

“You don’t have to be 18, 19, 20,” he added. “Anyone can be an apprentice.”

Under the East Hampshire District Council Enterprise Apprenticeship scheme, the council works with employers and pays half the cost of an apprentice for two years.

However, unlike a lot of similar initiatives, the district council insists that apprentices are paid the minimum wage and not the £3.40 an hour that some younger apprentices are legally paid.

Employers also have to offer a minimum of 30 hours per week.

The district council, which has sponsored 39 apprentices, also pays for training and transport, which further assists both the employee and the employer.

Another misconception is that apprentices are only suitable for a select few roles.

In fact, Mr Cowper explained, apprentices can be perfect for the “whole spectrum” of business - including law roles, engineering, finance, human resources, construction and more.

There was also a panel discussion, in which Chris Adams, employment support and training manager at Eastleigh-based Radian, spoke about local opportunities, particularly in association with Quebec Park, where the housing provider is developing 100 new homes.

One particular scheme gives people the opportunity to shadow a site manager and try their hand at different trades. Again, he was keen to insist that age was no barrier when it came to employment initiatives.

Susan Robbins, economic development lead at the district council, then spoke about the new Future Skills Centre at Louisburg Barracks, set to accept between 120 and 130 students from September next year.

The centre will feature three classrooms and three workshop areas and, it is hoped, will open countless doors for local people seeking employment.

The Kingsley Centre Organisation, which offers self-development and training opportunities with and for disabled people at the centre in Kingsley, sent a question to the forum, asking what the district council was doing to encourage businesses to hire disabled people.

Mr Cowper said there was “no positive discrimination” in the apprentice scheme and explained that the final decision to employ a candidate was always made by the employer.

If someone can do the job, irrespective of disability, race, religion, gender and so on, then they should theoretically stand the same chance as anyone else, he said.

However, even with that in mind, he added, in reality businesses might need to make accessibility changes to their premises and the council “should assist with that cost”.

* For more details about East Hampshire District Council’s apprenticeship scheme, visit easthants.gov.uk/apprenticeships.