Ladder for Shropshire: Apprenticeship event hailed a success

Following its huge success in 2020, about 600 people attended the All About Apprenticeships event when it returned to Montgomery Waters Meadow, the home of Shrewsbury Town Football Club, on Tuesday during National Apprenticeships Week.

The show offered visitors an opportunity to find out more about the wide range of apprenticeships available across the county and to meet local companies that are offering the positions, along with the training providers that will be supporting the training.

There were opportunities for hands-on activities to get a better understanding of the job roles available and employers from 14 different sectors were represented including construction, motor vehicle, administration, legal, accountancy, digital and health.

More than 25 of the biggest local employers and education providers were there to showcase the opportunities they offer, including sponsors Aico and Pave Aways as well as Capgemini, Wrekin Housing Trust, Severn Trent, Dyke Yaxley, NHS, Army and many more.

Speaking at the event, Owen Terry, technical adviser at Oswestry-based alarm maker Aico, said: "I was one of the first apprentices with Aico and over time we have had more and more coming through.

"All of the apprentices have been offered a full-time placement and roles include sales, marketing and technical.

"I went to college but didn't want to go to university. I hated exams and they really stressed me out. I came across an opportunity with Aico which is a reputable company and the community-based stuff they do now is phenomenal."

Research carried out by the Ladder for Shropshire and Shropshire Star has shown that young people don’t know enough about how to secure an apprenticeship.

The stands offered the chance to find out how to apply and what to do to get that dream job. Pupils and staff from local schools as well as parents and carers had been invited to the event.

One of the youngsters seeking an apprenticeship who attended the event was 19-year-old Corben Stephenson from Telford.

He said: "I'm looking for apprenticeships in things like construction or bricklaying.

"I went down the college route but didn't finish it as I wasn't enjoying it.

"I've got a job at the moment but I want to move on to an apprenticeship and if I get all my qualifications there's the potential to earn good money."

Amanda Carpenter, project officer Ladder for Shropshire, said: "There was a real buzz as the employers and providers were setting up for the event.

"It has been a couple of years since we could do an apprenticeship live event, due to Covid, but the event was a massive success.

"We had approximately 600 people through the door ranging from year 11 students and A-level students looking to access information about apprenticeships as an alternative to college or university as well as adults looking to change career.

"Some of the people we talked to had a good idea of the sector they are looking to progress in and wanted to know how to access those vacancies, and we had many people who just didn’t know what they wanted to do and just wanted to find out more about apprenticeships.

"The opportunity for them to talk to our local providers and employers was invaluable and informative, the feedback from attendees was incredibly positive. The Ladder was able to provide guidance on how to apply for apprenticeships and tips on securing your dream job.

"We have provided an information sheet on How to Find an Apprenticeship at https://www.ladderforshropshire.org/vacancies."