Job prospects at apprenticeship event (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Job prospects at apprenticeship event

7:00am Monday 18th February 2013 in News By Claire Armstrong, T&A Reporter

An apprenticeship event which attracted nearly 2,000 young people last year is coming back to Bradford.

Bradford Apprenticeship Evening aims to match school-leavers with employers looking for new trainees.

Invitations to the event, which will be held at the Hilton Hotel in the city centre, have now gone out to every Year 11, 12 or 13 school pupil or college student in the Bradford district, as well as young people who are not in employment, education or training.

At the event, they will be able to visit an ‘employer marketplace’, where up to a dozen firms will be explaining what apprenticeships they have available.

More than 30 colleges and training providers will also be there, talking through the apprenticeships they have in partnership with local firms.

There will be advisors from the National Apprenticeship Service on hand to give advice, and information about alternative routes to higher education.

The event is being organised by the non-profit organisation West Yorkshire Learning Providers, in partnership with Bradford Council.

Ashfaq Gulab, partnership manager of West Yorkshire Learning Providers, said apprenticeships were becoming more and more popular in Bradford.

He said almost 2,000 young people turned up to their first event in Bradford, which was held last year at the Midland Hotel.

Mr Gulab said apprenticeships were available in a wide range of jobs.

He said: “There are actually 240 different subjects available. You can choose from things like accountancy, law or health and social care. It’s not just about construction – the choice is quite big. That’s the message we are trying to get out to people.

“In terms of the top ten, usually young people are interested in business and administration or construction. I think it’s still very much in the traditional trades, although we are trying to push more creative and media apprenticeships. That is something that’s growing.”

And he said while the event was aimed at young people and their parents, adults looking for a change in career were welcome, too.

The event is taking place on Wednesday, March 6, from 4pm to 8pm at the Hilton Hotel in Hall Ings.