Apprenticeships to headline at the first direct arena next week

The largest apprenticeship fair in Yorkshire returns to Leeds next week for the fifth year in a row, with over 130 national and regional employers signed up to attend the event.

The event will take place on Monday 6 March at the first direct Arena from 4-8pm, marking the start of National Apprenticeship Week.

Supported by LeedsBID (Business Improvement District), the fair will offer a range of exciting apprenticeship opportunities in sectors such as financial services, health and care, retail and leisure, travel and tourism, sports, arts and the media, and engineering, manufacturing and construction. Amongst those employers signed up to event are Jaguar Land Rover, the NHS, Leeds City Council, British Telecom, Aldi, Marriott Hotel, Jet2.com, ITV and many more.

Last year’s event attracted over 5,000 people, with the recruitment fair offering the perfect opportunity for young people, parents and carers to find out more about the opportunities available, which lead to a paid job offering quality training. There is no requirement to book a place at the event, with people able to just turn up on the day.

Laura Burton, discovered an apprenticeship at a previous apprenticeship fair and went to work in a barristers chambers as a business apprentice, she said:

“The event gave me the opportunity to present myself to potential employers and gain a valuable understanding in terms of what they were looking for in interviews and in terms of employability skills”.

Laura is now an apprenticeship ambassador, and regularly comes to events with the Leeds Apprenticeship Hub to provide a real world view on apprenticeships to young people.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for employment, skills and opportunity said:

“It is fantastic that this event is back for the fifth year in a row to offer more young people the opportunity to take advantage of the fantastic apprenticeships on offer from the impressive list of national and regional employers due to attend.

“Apprenticeships offer an excellent way for young people to learn more about a field of work, gain a qualification and on the job experience, whilst giving a credible way onto the employment ladder.

“There will be plenty of live apprenticeship vacancies available on the night, so I would encourage anyone attending to bring their CVs along.”

Andrew Cooper, LeedsBID Chief Executive said:

“LeedsBID is funding the Leeds Apprenticeship Fair, which is an essential event for supporting the city’s skills agenda. It will highlight the many apprenticeship opportunities on offer from a wide range of employers, and will assist in developing and then helping retain those skills and talents in Leeds.”

For more information about the event visit www.leeds.gov.uk/leedspathways or follow the Leeds Apprenticeship Hub @LeedsAppHub on Facebook and Twitter and use the #LARF2017 to contribute to the conversation.