With National Apprenticeship nearly upon us, I’m looking forward to seeing Worcestershire’s businesses show their fantastic support for apprenticeships.
National Apprenticeship Week 2020 will begin on Monday 3rd February and, as part of the week, Worcestershire LEP and partners will be taking the time to recognise the county’s many apprenticeship success stories. This year, we’ll be helping to tell these success stories with a feature on “Where are they now?”, recognising how many of the county’s current middle and senior managers in fact began their careers as apprentices.
We will also of course be celebrating the current and future apprentices throughout the week, with events taking place in schools and colleges. Many current and former apprentices will go back to their old school to tell their story and hopefully inspire the next generation of ambitious professionals.
As we all know, an apprenticeship can be the ideal way for many people to get started in their careers, offering people the opportunity to gain their work experience and qualifications whilst also earning their own money. Apprenticeships have also had a significant impact on the county’s businesses, allowing them to hire young talented individuals with a new way of thinking and creative ideas.
I am proud to say that during the past year, the Worcestershire Apprenticeships Hub has been able to advise over 25,000 young people about apprenticeships, in visits and activities with local schools. Last year, the apprenticeship hub also held their largest ever event with over 3,000 people in attendance, showing the growing popularity of apprenticeships locally.
I would therefore encourage all businesses to join in the local and national campaigns on social media and to use the official hashtags #NAW2020 #LookBeyond and #WorcsApprentice
For more information on how you can start your career as an apprentice or to discover how apprenticeships can help you to improve your workforce, contact the Worcestershire Apprenticeships Hub on their website: www.worcsapprenticeships.org.uk