Bosses at Bradford’s smaller firms which find it difficult to commit to long-term training have been invited to next week’s formal launch of a new scheme to create new apprenticeships.

The Apprenticeship Training Agency, set up by Bradford Council with Bradford College, will be officially launched on Tuesday at Hope Park Business Centre where companies will get details of how they can benefit.

Businesses will be able to discuss what type of apprenticeships would suit along with the skills and qualifications they are looking for.

The ATA will take on the risk of the apprenticeship by hiring a pool of trainees which small firms can then hire on a weekly basis. The agency is supported by the Leeds City Region’s City Deal and is part of the Get Bradford Working Programme, the largest council-led employment programme in the country.

The £7.7 million scheme, developed with businesses and employers, will create hundreds of new jobs, apprenticeships and work experience placements.

The Council has recently set aside a further £1.25 million to support the development of advanced skills to aid business growth in the district.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, executive member for employment, skills and culture, said: “The ATA provides a real opportunity for small businesses to take on an apprentice without having to worry about red tape.

“There are 15,000 businesses in Bradford and 99 per cent of them are small and medium-sized enterprises so we think a lot of Bradford businesses will take a good look at this initiative in order to grow their business.”

Bradford Council leadwer Coun David Green said :“We are investing a lot of time and money into the Get Bradford Working programme and the launch of the ATA, because we see boosting employment opportunities as a huge investment for the future and absolutely key to the regeneration of this district.”

Bradford College principal Michele Sutton said: “It is vital that we recognise and value apprenticeships as an important route for young people to take.

“The College is delighted to enter into a partnership to help strengthen the local talent pool by developing high levels of technical and specialist knowledge and skills.”

Meanwhile, Bradford-based Morrisons has appointed a North East training consortium to develop staff at all levels following a tendering process.

NCG will develop the retailer’s award-winning Morrisons Academy apprentice and qualifications programme, covering up to 20,000 staff over two years, around half of them 16 to 24-year-olds.

It plans to extend the scheme to include online learning and advanced level courses to potential high-flyers.

NCG is a not-for-profit organisation with five divisions, including Sheffield-based Intraining Group, which will deliver the Morrisons training, which was developed in association with the National Apprenticeship Service.