Two grower sponsors have pledged support to Hadlow College’s new three year apprenticeship programme, which was launched at the National Fruit Show in Kent, last week.
The City & Guilds validated scheme will see students take up work placements within fresh produce companies, with employees paying for the apprentices and sponsorships funding the training.
Hadlow’s financial director Mark Lumsdon-Taylor said: “We are aiming for 10 sponsorships to get the ball rolling and then in a year’s time we will come back to the NFS and open the placements to students. It is a unique model and there is a clear demand, but we do need industry backing to get young people into the industry.”
