activpayroll, the global payroll and employee mobility specialist, is pleased to announce that it will be taking part in the Press and Journal’s Apprentice 100 campaign.
The initiative, launched in September, aims to create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days, giving young people in the north and north-east a pathway to successful careers. As part of the initiative, activpayroll is set to launch a new payroll apprentice framework. The framework will see activpayroll recruit four new apprentices, two based in the Aberdeen HQ and two in the Edinburgh office.
The company’s involvement in this new initiative follows the successful launch of the activpayroll training academy. Working in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals, the in-house training academy is the first of its kind in Scotland, giving activpayroll employees the chance to receive on-the-job training and earn certification from the CIPP. The academy was set up in May 2015 after it was identified that there was a distinct lack of formal apprenticeship framework for payroll in Scotland.
After joining activpayroll in March 2014, HR Business Partner, Sandra Sommerville, knew something had to be done in order to attract a new generation to the sector. As of March next year, an additional framework will be on offer along with the academy. Ms Sommerville said: “activpayroll want to target young people who have a passion for numbers and accounts to come and join our growing and award winning team.”
Joining forces with Apprentice 100 will help highlight the benefits apprenticeships can bring to job seekers and businesses. Kyle Shand, an activpayroll trainee, joined the team in April with no experience or education in the field of payroll. Although the job was challenging to begin with, Mr Shand has come a long way with the help of the training academy.
Kyle Shand, Trainee Payroll Administrator said: “I have learned a lot about numeracy and how tax works. It means I can now look at my own payslip and understand what everything means. I’ve also learned customer handling skills, which are an important part of this job.”
Alison Sellar, CEO of activpayroll, commented: “We are really enthusiastic to be supporting the Press and Journal with this new initiative. With the launch of the in-house training academy being so successful, I have no doubt in my mind that the new framework will prove to be just as rewarding for the new apprentices, paving the way for a new generation of payroll professionals.”
