Sefton youngsters buoyed by new apprenticeship scheme

The company - which has been working with Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council since October 2008 as part of a Public Private Partnership - is offering eleven school leavers 12-24 month-long apprenticeships in IT, business administration and customer services.
After a 13-week intensive programme focusing on IT, literacy, numeracy, communication and time-keeping skills, the young apprentices will start working alongside arvato government services employees based in Bootle while they study for NVQ qualifications.
Once the apprentices have completed their schemes, arvato will help them to secure permanent jobs within its organisation in Sefton and wider afield.
Natalie Smith, 16, from Bootle left school in June and has just secured her place on arvato’s apprenticeship scheme after studying and training at Stanley Road-based Asset Training.
Next week, she will be working at Sefton Council’s Merton House headquarters alongside eight arvato employees in the Transactional Human Resources department which handles payroll, pensions and transactional HR such as recruitment, starters and leavers.
“I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in,” she said. “Soon, I’ll be doing my NVQ level 2 certificate in Business Administration, which will be assessed here.
“My family is really happy for me and my teachers are pleased that I’ve got great career prospects doing something I’m exited about.”
Michael Jones, partnership directorat arvato government services said: “Our apprenticeship scheme offers young people in Sefton a strong alternative path into employment and opens up long term job opportunities in key growth sectors.
“We are very impressed by the dedication of the young apprentices that have started our schemes and we are looking forward to taking them on a journey that could totally transform their career prospects within a relatively short period of time.”