Ladder for Shropshire: Firms are urged to join campaign

Amanda Carpenter, project lead for the campaign, said she has been “overwhelmed” by the support received since it was relaunched in October, but is keen to secure more opportunities for young people next year.

A host of Shropshire businesses have already come forward to offer apprenticeships.

“Having joined the Ladder for Shropshire in October as the project lead I couldn’t have imagined what an impact the initiative would have,” Amanda said.

“Our goal is to support the unemployed young people of Shropshire by generating as many apprenticeships opportunities as possible.”

Amanda said when the campaign was relaunched there were concerns about the level of unemployment amongst 16-24 year olds.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions for January showed 1,633 unemployed and by November the provisional figure had risen to almost 4,000.

“The percentage rise has been fairly uniform across Shropshire with minor monthly fluctuations, though Whitchurch has shown a jump in the past month,” Amanda said.

“However the Ladder has been working hard to encourage and support employers.

“We have also had employers who want to support the Ladder in several ways, including sharing their experiences of apprenticeships, sharing their expertise, and generally shouting out about the incredible benefits of apprenticeships within their network.”

Amanda added: “ We still have a long way to go and we are still eager to speak to employers in 2021 to secure more opportunities.

"We need to give our young people hope and opportunities and enable them to take their place in building a bright new year for us all.”