Shropshire Star

Ladder For Shropshire Apprentices scheme hits 100 new jobs

More than 100 young people have now started new careers thanks to the work of the Shropshire Star-backed Ladder For Shropshire campaign.

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Just over a year ago the Star pledged to support the work of the Ladder campaign, which connects young people with companies looking to develop the skills of their workforce

The latest figures show that 102 businesses have now become involved with the campaign, with a total of 208 vacancies created.

Just over 100 young people have gained work with those companies, with more than 50 different roles created.

The Ladder for Shropshire is an apprenticeship scheme.

And whether you are a business looking at taking on an apprentice or a young person looking for work, there are plenty of benefits to being part of getting involved. We want companies – large, medium and small – to take on apprentices and help them onto the job ladder.

An apprenticeship is a paid job that includes on and off-the-job training. For every apprentice taken, employers may be eligible for a Government grant of £1,500.

More than 80 per cent of consumers favour using a company that takes on apprentices and 74 per cent of businesses say apprentices are more loyal and stay with the business longer than other employees.

  • For full details visit ladderforshropshire.co.uk

  • For more information call 0330 999 8441 or 0800 999 8441.

  • You can also email ladder@apprentice-providers.co.uk or fill out the online contact form here

The latest companies to take on apprentices via the Ladder include Shrewsbury's SW Asset Protection, Telford hardware distributor Entatech, Telford-based pipeline maintenance company Coatsol, hairdressers Toni & Guy and Nesscliffe-based Cinephonix Limited.

As the country marks Local Newspaper Week, the Ladder is a perfect example of the good work papers do in the community.

Jamie Pugh, marketing and development officer for the Ladder for Shropshire, said: "We have all been delighted by the way the Ladder has developed and expanded since it was launched in spring 2015.

"The role the Shropshire Star has played in the Ladder has been invaluable, raising awareness of the role we can play and ensuring that people we meet understand what we are trying to do. It has been an excellent example of the way key role the local press still plays in the local community."

Representatives of the Ladder – including Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright – visited St James's Palace in London last month to meet The Duke of York, who is a long-time supporter of the campaign.

Along with its two partner campaigns in the Black Country and Staffordshire, the Ladder has created a total of 1,000 apprenticeships across the region.

But the work is continuing, and employers are currently readying themselves for a fresh influx of young talent with the end of the school term looming.

"The Ladder has helped increase the number of apprenticeships on offer in Shropshire by 12 per cent in the last year," Mr Pugh added.

"Clearly, employers see the value of passing on their skills to young people and offering them an alternative to the traditional routes into the world of work. Now we are really seeing things ramping up, as the school year is coming to an end and they expect to see a lot of young people looking for ways to get into employment.

"The Ladder is supporting the Government's Get In, Go Far campaign by visiting local schools and colleges to highlight the benefit of an apprentice, and we hope that will help to bring together employers with those young people who see an apprenticeship as the right choice for them."

Bob Satchwell, director of the Society of Editors, praised the role of the Shropshire Star for "picking up the baton" and promoting apprenticeships.

"It has set a great example for the rest of the press to follow," he added.

Speaking at St James's Palace, the Duke praised the work of the Ladder.

He said: "I don't think there's a single young person who is not grateful for the experience they have had on an apprenticeship.

"The Ladder campaign has raised so much awareness that there is a method of getting to young people who may not necessarily be dead-set on becoming a university graduate that there are other options.

"My view is that if there if a small business just takes on one young person that would help the unemployment figures and help businesses, but it would also boost the economy by some considerable margin."

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