Fujitsu : is committed to creating more apprenticeships

Fujitsu UK & Ireland has announced that it is recruiting 95 new apprentices within the next two months, recognising the need for business to tackle rising youth unemployment and to help its own growth ambitions.

£7,800 is the salary for "Intermediate" apprentices who are school-leavers with GCSEs, and will join a one-year training programme. This salary is 50% higher than the recommended minimum salary of £2.65 per hour.

£14,500 is the starting salary for "Advanced" apprentices who are college-leavers with A-levels, and will join a two-year programme. They will also get a twice-yearly pay review.

The apprentices will be based in Bracknell, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Solihull, Stevenage, Swansea, Telford, Wakefield and Warrington, in a wide variety of roles from customer service to software development.

The aim is to provide all apprentices with full-time positions at the end of their programmes, provided they meet performance objectives. Intermediate and Advanced apprentices will work towards BTEC Level 2 and 3 qualifications respectively, with the option to continue to Level 4 and 5 Diploma level.

First4Skill supports Fujitsu by helping to identify talented young people to shortlist for interview. It will also help Fujitsu to create bespoke training plans, comprised of on-the-job as well as vocational training, delivered in-house by Fujitsu and externally by First4Skills and Telford College.

Gavin Bounds, chief operating officer at Fujitsu UK & Ireland is personally committed to helping young people develop a career: "As an ex-apprentice myself I am delighted with the national resurgence in apprenticeships. Our apprenticeship scheme isn't new; in fact we've been recruiting apprentices for over 25 years, and our 2012 scheme is our largest ever intake. Apprenticeships offer the chance for young people to see the IT industry as a great career."

Rachel Rose who, as head of talent management, is Fujitsu's champion for apprentices said: "The calibre of applications this year has surpassed our expectations and we're looking forward to welcoming our apprentices into the business. They will be recruited, many from areas of high unemployment, to take on a wide variety of important roles, from customer-facing ones - manning our service desks to help resolve customer queries; to technical roles, where they will learn a range of programming skills."

Andy Payne, who joined Fujitsu 26 years ago as an apprentice, is now Director of Fujitsu's Engineering Services division. He says: "Fujitsu has a long track record of offering apprenticeships to young people, and there is ample opportunity to succeed if they demonstrate a willingness to learn a variety of skills and a hunger to progress.

"I've personally worked in UK and European roles within the company, in departments as diverse as technical support and HR. In my present role as director of Engineering Services, I'm enjoying welcoming some of the new apprentices into my team as they take their first steps up their personal career ladders."

Under a separate scheme in Northern Ireland, 10 apprentices will be recruited into roles in Belfast.

Fujitsu employs over 12,000 people, making it the largest Japanese employer in the UK and Ireland. It will also take on 55 graduates this year as well as offering industrial placements to 21 undergraduates on sandwich courses.