Pictures John Hopkins
WARRINGTON South MP Andy Carter has hailed a record attendance at an apprenticeships and jobs fair he organised at the town’s Parr Hall.
The annual careers and training event organised by Andy Carter MP took place last Friday with hundreds of people visiting the Parr Hall to meet face-to-face with some of the biggest employers and training providers from across the town.
More than 40 businesses, colleges and public sector employers were on hand to talk about vacancies, with many having apprentices in attendance to give first-hand advice on routes for securing employment after school and college.
Some of the well-known local names in attendance and recruiting included Great Sankey-based United Utilities who have more than 5,000 employees and a tailored programme for apprentices, Old Hall-based Gullivers World with both permanent roles as well as casual seasonal vacancies and Omega-based Amazon, who recruit hundreds of apprentices annually to work in areas as diverse as engineering, logistics and video content production.
Mr Carter said: “I’ve organised this apprenticeships and jobs fair for the last few years because I want young people and their families to have every opportunity to meet employers and hear first hand about what they value and how to secure first step on the career ladder. Apprenticeships are growing in popularity because they are a great way to learn and earn, often with a degree at the end of the programme without the debt associated with a straightforward University course.”
“I’m really grateful for the support from businesses in the town, whenever I’ve asked them to get involved they’ve come along and played their part, businesses of all sizes as well as the public sector organisations which serve our town like Warrington Hospital, Cheshire Fire and Rescue and Cheshire Police who are all recruiting at the moment. It was particularly great to have some local SMEs attending this year too, like Dallam-based b-engineering and C&D Family Care who provide domiciliary service through Warrington Borough Council. “
“Warrington’s local economy is in good shape, unemployment is low and the jobs market is buoyant, meaning if you’re prepared to work and want a job there are opportunities to do well. More than 14,000 people in Warrington South have enrolled on an apprenticeship course since 2010 and I’m keen we see that number grow further in the coming year.”
The National Careers Service has more advice online about modern apprenticeships which are now available in around 70% of all occupations here: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices
