The popular Apprentice Show is coming back to Telford

The event will be held on March 7 and aims to show young visitors and their parents the range of career and training opportunities available across Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire and the wider West Midlands.

It is being run by Telford & Wrekin Council in partnership with The Army, Shropshire Star, University of Wolverhampton and the Careers and Enterprise Company which are working together to ensure this year’s show is bigger and better than ever before.

Apprenticeships an alternative to higher education with many employers favouring the “grow your own” approach and offering higher level apprenticeships ranging from engineering, IT and even a solicitor.

More than 45 of the biggest employers and education providers in the region have confirmed their attendance to showcase the wide range of opportunities they offer, including CapGemini, Wrekin Housing Trust, Ricoh, BAE systems and Harper Adams University.

Each stand will offer hands-on and interactive activities related to a range of careers and the chance for visitors to speak to the businesses about what they need to do to get their dream job.

School pupils in years 10, 11, 12 and 13 have been invited to the event, to help them to make their career decisions. Parents and carers are also being invited to bring their children to the show after school to find out more about what apprenticeships have to offer too.

There is no longer an upper age limit for apprenticeships which means anyone can come and employers can use them to up skill their existing workforce.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s education boss Councillor Shirley Reynolds said: “Last year we welcomed over 3,700 delegates to The Apprenticeship Show and we hope to see even more at next month’s event who will be able to apply for and find out about the hundreds of opportunities available.

“Apprenticeships have recently become much more popular with both employers and apprentices alike. For employers, it gives them the opportunity to grow their business and nurture their future workforce. For the apprentice, it gives them a non-academic route into a chosen career.

“We have heard of many cases, including within this council, of apprentices who have shone and gone on to greater things with the same employer.”

Details of participating exhibitors can be found at www.telfordjobbox.co.uk.