Ladder for Shropshire: Apprenticeships provide right career steps
During the pandemic young people had limited access to careers advice and guidance, and there was a great deal of information about job losses which impacted on the decisions of young people regarding their next steps.
Post-pandemic, employers are replanning and recognising the need to offer apprenticeships to meet increasing skills shortages.
There are now far more apprenticeships on offer than ever before, and most weeks there are more than 300 vacancies across the county advertised on the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ website.
However, the Ladder for Shropshire said work still needs to be done to ensure that young people have the right support and guidance regarding apprenticeships.
A survey undertaken by the Shropshire Star indicated that more than 50 per cent of young people were unsure of how to find and apply for an apprenticeship.
The Ladder is now linking with the Marches Careers Hub to develop an action plan to provide more information for young people, parents and teachers.
Amanda Carpenter, project officer for the Ladder, said: “There are brilliant opportunities which will lead to solid careers with the chance to progress and climb the career ladder.
"Examples from this week’s postings include motor service technician, dental nurse, electrical engineer, dairy technologist, accountant, digital marketer, sports coach, medical receptionist and many more.
"I would urge young people to carefully consider which next steps are going to lead them to where they want to be in the future.
"Apprenticeships have consistently proved successful with more than 90 per cent of young people who complete an apprenticeship continuing in full-time, permanent employment.”
Places to search for apprenticeship vacancies include:
– Find an Apprenticeship: findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk
– NHS Jobs: www.jobs.nhs.uk
– Public Sector: www.wmjobs.co.uk
– Indeed: www.indeed.co.uk
– Ladder for Shropshire: www.ladderforshropshire.org/vacancies
The Ladder also showcases vacancies on the Shropshire Star website at www.shropshirestar.com/news/business/ladder-for-shropshire
