A campaign which is creating new apprenticeships across Birmingham and Solihull has partnered with a national jobs fair taking place in the city later this week.
The Ladder for Greater Birmingham initiative has teamed up with Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) for the National Apprenticeship & School Leavers Event at Millennium Point on Friday.
Kevin Davis, who chairs the Ladder campaign, will be opening the event and delivering a keynote speech.
Ladder for Greater Birmingham was launched in summer 2018 with the aim of creating 1,000 new apprentice roles across Birmingham and Solihull which it succeeded in doing.
The Ladder Foundation is exhibiting at the conference and ‘have-a-go’ sessions will be run by the Greater Birmingham Ladder Skills Academy which is backed by GBSLEP.
More than 7,000 students have already registered to attend the event which is aiming to showcase the apprenticeship and traineeship options available in the jobs market as it recovers from the impact of covid-19.
Mr Davis, who is chief executive of Walsall-based community development group Vine Trust, said: “As chairman of the Ladder Apprenticeship Foundation and The Mercian Multi-Academy Trust, I’m so pleased to help kick off this event.
“The conference marries both my interests in apprenticeships and secondary education and the importance of ensuring our young people get access to quality advice and guidance at all stages of their vocational journey.
“This conference offers that opportunity and, with over 2,000 secondary schools and further education Colleges expected to attend, this should make for one of the most informative and influential occasions in the academic calendar.”
The Ladder Foundation is run by a number of key partners including Vine Trust and training provider Performance Through People, with funding from GBSLEP.
Other stakeholders include BirminghamLive as media partner, the Birmingham and Solihull Training Provider Network and the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Ladder’s patron is Robert Halfon MP, chairman of the Education Select Committee.
BirminghamLive’s third annual Greater Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards will also take place in November, held in partnership with the Ladder.
Rob Colbourne, chief executive of Performance Through People, added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals to find out more about apprenticeships and programmes that lead to employment through the apprenticeship brand.
“The recent pandemic has resulted in a lack of information, advice and guidance to many students or unemployed adults regarding apprenticeship opportunities with small, medium and large employers which means there are currently thousands of employed vacancies unfilled that could literally change people’s lives.
“I’m very hopeful this event will match individuals and employers which can only help the region move forward.”
- For information about the apprenticeship conference and to book a ticket, click through here.
- To find out more about the Ladder for Greater Birmingham campaign and how employing apprentices can benefit your business, visit www.ladderforbirmingham.co.uk or call 03332 409 699
