This week I will focus on opportunity. Recently I’ve not shared much in the way of good news, we’ve had important matters drawing our attention, and whilst I have no intention of running away from the harsh facts of life and the difficult decisions and actions to be taken, for this week I choose to focus on the many opportunities on offer and causes to be hopeful.
I have mentioned before that I would like to see a new deal for our young people. This week, many of them will be heading off to university, no doubt excited and maybe a little nervous about what awaits them. I wish them all the best of luck in their studies and whatever other endeavours they choose to pursue during their time in higher education. It is about more than just the degree – it is a very formative time, and the societies and sports clubs and activities are as much a part of that as what they will find in the lecture theatres and seminar rooms.
My fear is that the cost and the level of debt is putting young people off furthering their studies. I am not calling for an end to tuition fees, but in a week where universities have suggested that these may need to rise to over £12,000 to plug the gaps in their finances, I hope that as a society we can find a better solution than putting young people in ever greater levels of debt as they start out in their adult lives.
University is just one of many paths, of course. I promised to speak of opportunity, and we have a number of excellent opportunities to start or to further your career in Solihull in the next few weeks, for those young and not so young:
Solihull Apprenticeship Show (16 October)
With over 3,000 attendees for the last two shows, the Solihull Apprenticeship Show will return on 16 October at Cranmore Park. The event showcases apprenticeships at all levels. Attendees will have the chance to speak to employers and training providers from a range of sectors, as well as current apprentices. Anyone aged 15-18 who would like to learn about apprenticeships and work opportunities is encouraged to come along. Find out more here.
Free TV & Film production training – Information session (19 September)
Designed for new entrants to the industry, the TV and Film Production training course aims to build learners’ technical skills to start a career in the industry. Learning from the local industry professionals who may be looking for new crew members for upcoming productions, this will be a great chance for anyone looking to break into the industry. Sign up and come along to this information session on 19 September to find out more.
Free digital skills training (23 September)
Designed for those who are new to using computers or looking for a refresh of their ICT skills, the Council’s Employment and Skills team is running weekly 2-hour sessions at the Solihull Recruitment and Training Centre in Chelmsley Wood, starting from Monday 23 September. This will build learners’ confidence and their skills on the aspects of computing that interest them in work and everyday life. Residents can sign up with this registration link.
Autumn jobs fair (25 September)
The Employment and Skills team will be running a jobs fair on Wednesday 25 September at the Solihull Recruitment and Training Centre in Chelmsley Wood. Visitors will be able to speak to employers directly for roles in admin, care, construction, hospitality, security and warehouse, as well as seasonal roles. Residents can sign up with this registration link.
What I particularly welcome amongst these events is the variety, there is a tendency to associate apprenticeships solely with trades. Whilst this may have been true in the past and that training and those jobs can be incredibly valuable and rewarding, apprenticeships can lead to a wide variety of careers and offer an excellent starting point in many industries. To see training in film and TV available locally is excellent, showing that the spectrum of opportunities here in Solihull is wide-ranging.
If you need any more proof of that, you can ask the good people at BNP Paribas Personal Banking. An established pillar of the Solihull business community for half a century now, they recently announced they will be moving their Solihull headquarters to a wonderful new premises on Homer Road that will accommodate their 800-strong workforce and support their continued growth as a business. Good news for them, but also for our other town centre businesses, who will no doubt benefit from the additional footfall on and around our high street.
BNP Paribas is part of a cluster of dynamic forward looking fintech companies choosing to base themselves here in Solihull town centre and contributing to making Solihull the vibrant place it is to live, work and visit.
Our new Autism Partnership Board will meet for the first time next Thursday (19 September). The board is made up of health and social care professionals along with autistic Solihull residents and family carers. We would like more people to come forward to join the board to help improve our health and social care services for autistic adults. If you want to share your experiences and ideas, please do click the link for details of how to get involved.
I watched with concern as the government voted through the plans to remove the winter fuel payment from most pensioners this winter. I appreciate (all too well) the need to make tough decisions to remedy a difficult financial position, but I am concerned the speed with which this legislation has been passed has meant many people will fall through the gaps. It is good to see that a lot of those eligible for pension credit who were not previously claiming have signed up, but there are plenty of people just above that threshold who still relied on the annual extra payment to make their household finances stretch through the cold British winter. There is still time to reconsider the move, even if just in the application rather than the substance.
The Solihull Fairtrade Trail runs until next Sunday, and with some early autumn sunshine forecast for next week why not take the chance to enjoy it before it disappears for another year?
And finally, the very best of luck to Dorridge Cricket Club’s two junior teams who will be playing at Lords cricket ground this weekend. Their under-13 and under-15 sides have reached cup finals for their age groups, giving them the opportunity to take the field at the home of cricket. Amongst all the opportunities for young people in Solihull I have mentioned this week, this is rather special.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have a great weekend.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council.