AutoRaise unveils Employer Support Fund
AutoRaise is evolving its apprenticeship funding model with the development of a new Employer Support Fund.
The fund is designed to provide more flexible support to smaller repair businesses so they can offer young people apprenticeship opportunities.
Building on the charity’s existing bursary programme, the Employer Support Fund aims to remove practical barriers to employment by directing funds where they are needed most. This includes tools, PPE, workwear, travel, accommodation, digital equipment and other costs that can prevent an apprenticeship from beginning or continuing.
Prioritising smaller, non-levy-paying businesses, the revised model will also allow AutoRaise to respond to individual needs rather than applying the same level of funding to every placement.
It is hoped that by introducing more flexibility and control of funding, the Employer Support Fund can help up to 120 businesses and apprentices annually.
Emma Speed, managing director of AutoRaise, said: “Our bursary programme has given us a much clearer understanding of where relatively small interventions can make a real difference. The Employer Support Fund is the next step in putting that learning into practice.
“There isn’t one single barrier preventing employers from taking on apprentices. For one business it might be the cost of tools and PPE; for another it could be travel or another practical issue affecting the placement.
“The new model gives us the flexibility to look at what is actually needed to help that apprenticeship happen. It allows us to make every pound invested in AutoRaise work harder and potentially help many more employers create opportunities for young people.”
She concluded: “Our mission remains very simple: we want more young people to have the opportunity to build sustainable careers in automotive and more employers to feel able to give them that opportunity.”
