City of York Council is making a final call out to creative and cultural businesses who would like to access funding to create Apprenticeships and paid internships.

City of York Council will be applying for the Creative Employment Programme funding in August on behalf on a consortium of creative and cultural organisations in York and the surrounding area.

This is a £15m fund from Arts Council England, which is administered by Creative & Cultural Skills and designed to support the creation of traineeships, Apprenticeships and paid internship opportunities for young people aged 16-24. The programme provides part-wage grants to put towards the costs of a new apprentice or paid intern.

This can cover wage subsidies of between £1500 – £3000 for entry level roles in music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, contemporary craft, combined arts, galleries, circus, carnival arts, museums and libraries. This includes all sizes and types of employers, supporting technical and sector specific roles as well as support roles in areas such as marketing, business administration, finance and HR.

The consortium currently consists of 17 employers including libraries, galleries, theatre groups, museums and festivals who are looking to create around 20 internships and Apprenticeships for young people wanting to get into the creative and cultural sector. Any other businesses who would like to be involved should get in contact by Thursday 24 July, however, there may be the option to be part of the consortium at a later date if an interest has been expressed.

Those who wish to find out more can contact Julia Massey on 07769640241 or by email julia.massey@york.gov.uk.