As the number of bright sunny days increases, we are slowly edging towards the summer months. With April already done and dusted, we’re taking stock at Starting Off and looking back at some of the highlights from the past month…
Welcoming fresh faces to the team
Our recruitment team has seen a surge of new starts this April – we’ve welcomed Lucy, Sophie and Nikki to Starting Off over the past few weeks.
Lucy (middle, right) and Sophie (far right) are our newest recruitment consultants who will be supporting our clients in helping them to source talent for growing their own teams whilst also supporting candidates in embarking on their early career journeys. Nikki (far left) is the recruitment administrator, assisting the team with everything from registering candidates to promoting jobs on our social media channels.
You can be sure to spot these ladies at some of our upcoming networking and career events.
Not Going To Uni
March also saw the usually remote working Starting Off staff reunited in the office for our quarterly staff meeting and annual staff We’ve started working with Not Going To Uni to advertise some of our starter job roles on their website that is targeted at supporting school and college leavers looking for career paths that are alternative to university. Check out our provider profile here: Starting Off | Notgoingtouni
We are currently inundated with many fabulous opportunities for apprentices. With so many opportunities on offer, there’s no better time to start looking! If you or someone you know is looking for a fresh start in a rewarding and engaging career, get in touch with us here: Contact Us | Starting Off.
Training Achievements
Early in April, we hosted our Charity of The Year partner, The Lowdown in running an online workshop for apprentices on Mental Health and Wellbeing. The session covered top tips and advice on managing mental health both at work and home, including common signs of poor mental health and how to look after your own wellbeing. To learn more about The Lowdown and what they do, you can visit their website: https://thelowdown.info/
Reminders
Friday 20th May 2022 is the last day employers can submit their applications for incentive payments for apprentices hired between 1st October 2021 to 31st January 2022 and enrolled on their course before 31st March 2022. For a guide on how to apply, visit: How to apply for the incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice – Apprenticeship Service Support (education.gov.uk)
As of the start of April 2022, The National Apprenticeship service are changing the way we advertise job roles. Employers will have to now authorise Starting Off to recruit a vacancy through the Apprenticeship Service. If you are thinking of recruiting an apprentice through Starting Off in the next 6 months, you will need to grant us permission, via your Apprenticeship Service account, to advertise so we can start working on your vacancy immediately.
In other news…
- The National Minimum Wage has now been increased; this is particularly relevant to apprentices, whose minimum wage is increasing to £4.81 per hour, the same rate as it is for under 18s. Find out more about the National Minimum Wage changes here: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Mikaela completed her half-marathon for Alzheimer’s Society! To make a donation, please visit: Mikaela Groves is fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society (justgiving.com)
Coming up…
Our next AAT Bookkeeping group begins on the 7th June – this is our starter course for anyone looking to begin a career working in finance. We also deliver the course privately which makes it ideal for employers looking to upskill their workforce too. To find out more and register, please contact: helen.deacon@startingoff.co.uk
