Apprentice option for school leavers

TO coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, Greater Manchester Chamber is urging school leavers to consider the potential benefits following the apprenticeship route.

With a sharp increase in demand for university places, rising cost of student debt — and an increasingly competitive youth job market — the Chamber believes more young people need to look at getting vocational qualifications.

Chris Fletcher, deputy chief executive of Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “For far too long young people have been told that the academic route is the only option.

“The result of this is that we have ended up with a shortage of skilled workers in sectors such as engineering and manufacturing which will be at the forefront of the economic recovery.

“We are not saying that people shouldn’t go to university, but we’re asking school leavers to consider whether a degree is right for them. There is no point going to university and piling up thousands of pounds worth of debt doing a course that won’t lead to a job.”

Apprenticeships have risen in popularity in recent years as the Government has put more emphasis on vocational qualifications to fill the UK’s skills gap.

There is a wide range of apprenticeships available in Greater Manchester covering industries such as construction, engineering, hairdressing and IT.

For more information on the on-going campaign and events e-mail recruitment@skills-solutions.org.uk or call 0161-233 2656.