Community
At Close Brothers, we want to make a lasting contribution to our local communities. We invest in a number of community-based initiatives across the group and encourage our employees to make a positive change to their local community.
We support our local communities
Close Brothers has always operated as a connected unit in every aspect of our activities, and we strive to extend this approach to the communities local to us. From helping SMEs invest in the next generation to establishing programmers that mould future charity board members, at Close Brothers we work towards helping the communities in which we operate to thrive with continued support.
Close Brothers SME Apprentice Programme
- The Close Brothers SME Apprenticeship Programme is helping SMEs recruit and train the next generation of advanced engineering workers. With the skills gap weighing heavily on the UK manufacturing sector, the scheme helps SMEs to tackle the issues of cost and red tape so they can take on an apprentice and invest in a new generation of skilled workers.
- In the scheme’s first year we helped to pay for 20 apprentices to study at the University of Sheffield's AMRC Training Centre. Phase two was launched in 2016 in the Birmingham area. We fund half of new recruits’ wages during their first year and a quarter of their wages in the second. As a result, participating SMEs do not have to bear the full cost of employing apprentices until they start making a positive contribution to their business.
- Close Brothers runs the scheme in conjunction with the AMRC Training Centre and the Manufacturing Technologies Association, a trade association for companies working in the engineering-based manufacturing sector.
- The video below gives an overview of the impact of the SME apprenticeship programme
How to apply
- The scheme is open to all SMEs, not just those currently working with Close Brothers.
- If you are an SME and would like more information about the scheme, contact Marc Rhodes at the AMRC Training Centre, m.rhodes@amrc.co.uk; +44 (0)114 215 8036
Local community involvement
In addition to the community initiatives supported at a group level, many of our local businesses are involved with volunteering and support within their local communities. Examples of this include:
- Our Reading to Children Programme in partnership with the Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership
- Support to local schools provided through our graduates
- One off community support such as tree planting or support for careers days
