South: Grant Thornton leads on the development of business skills apprenticeship under Phase Three Trailblazer initiative

The Department of Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) has selected Grant Thornton UK LLP to lead on the development of a new business skills apprenticeship scheme.

Financial and business advisers at Grant Thornton in Southampton will run the apprenticeship, under the Phase Three Trailblazer initiative, which will cover all the core skills needed to work in business administration and customer management.

The opportunity will see Grant Thornton lead on the development of the scheme, defining the skills and knowledge required to support a businesses’ growth aspirations across multiple sectors, enabling apprenticeships to become a fundamental part of a businesses’ resourcing strategies.

Stephen Mills, office managing partner at Grant Thornton’s Southampton office, said: “The BIS apprenticeships programme is highly successful, providing proven benefits to both employers and apprentices.

“We are delighted to be leading on this new business skills programme, helping to keep apprenticeships responsive to an employers’ needs and providing apprentices with a solid grounding in business administration and management, kick starting their careers.

“Grant Thornton already supports a large number of apprentices across all of our business units and we envisage growing these programmes in the future."

Skills minister Nick Boles said: “I congratulate Grant Thornton for the key role it is playing in developing new top-quality apprenticeships.

“Through the trailblazer initiative companies like Grant Thornton, in collaboration with its industry partners, will give people the skills they need to thrive and our businesses the skills they need to compete.”