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Call for future North East investment during Apprenticeship Week

The head of the North East arm of the National Skills Academy Process Industries is calling for more employers in the region to invest in students in recognition of Apprentice Week.

The skills academy is supporting the week-long event, which is backed by Sir Alan Sugar and is celebrating the role apprenticeships play in the business world.

Kevin Thrower, skills academy regional skills manager for the North East, said: “In the current economic circumstances, it is more important than ever to ensure that employees have the skills they need to help deliver success which is why businesses should continue to train. Training will help them through the current storm whilst also readying them for when the storm passes.

“We are encouraging North East employers to contact us to make sure they take advantage of the new support.

“With an estimated 24,000 apprentices required over the next decade, long term skills development through apprenticeships, designed to suit the needs of the process industries, is vital to ensure their sustainable future.”

To support the on-going awareness raising and the forthcoming apprenticeships marketing and communications campaign, Sir Alan Sugar will be joining Secretaries of State, John Denham and Ed Balls, in an Apprenticeship event at the Lancastrian Suite in Newcastle.

The seminar, which takes place on 12 March, is intended to motivate and galvanise more businesses to offer Apprenticeships.

Kevin Thrower said: “Apprentices are the lifeblood of the process industries and if we don’t act now, we could suffer a skills shortfall later down the line.

“With the help of these events, hopefully we can increase the awareness of available apprenticeships and ultimately help dramatically enrich the future of the industry.”

For more information go to www.process.nsacademy.co.uk or www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .