1,200 young people, parents and carers learned about local opportunities at the Solihull Apprenticeship Show.
The event took place on Wednesday 29 January 2025 at North Solihull Sports Centre. Those in attendance had the opportunity to find out more about Apprenticeships up to degree level, Supported Internships and entry level work opportunities, demonstrating the wide variety of career paths available for young people.
More than 40 employers and training providers across various sectors including construction, financial, creative, digital and engineering were on hand to talk to visitors. Exhibitors included JLR, the NEC group, Rolls-Royce, Solihull College & University Centre, West Midlands Police, HSBC, Kier, Balfour Beatty VINCI, Heart of England Training and Solihull Council. Current apprentices shared their experiences with those in attendance, offering advice and insights into the career experiences future apprentices can look forward to.
The Mayor of Solihull, Cllr Shahin Ashraf MBE, said: “The Apprenticeship Show is always such a brilliant event and the showcase at North Solihull Sports Centre was no different. It was great for training providers and employers to come together and help young people understand more about apprenticeships and the many different directions that they can take with their future careers. Building experience through learning at work can set young people up for a successful career in whichever field they wish to pursue. Finally, I’d like to thank all the companies and organisations who took part for showing young people the wide range of career options available to them in their community.”
Cllr Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council, said: “Youth employment has always been a key priority for me, so it was fantastic to see first-hand, the businesses offering opportunities for the young people in our community. Building the future talent pipeline is key to sustainable business growth. I’d encourage employers to speak to our Employment and Skills Team and work with us to connect with your future workforce.”
Cllr Michael Gough, Portfolio Holder for Skills, Employment & Inclusion, said: “It was great to know that so many residents came to the show to find out more about apprenticeships. We always work to fine tune our support so that everyone attending gets the most out of it. This is the first time that we had a dedicated room for young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to learn about Supported Internships in a quieter environment. It is important for young people to talk to those who can help them decide their best next steps.”
One of the exhibitors, Gurdev Sondh from J.Sondh Specialists said: “This is our first time at the show and the young people are really engaging. We had brilliant conversations to understand what they are looking for in a career and how we can support them. We are a family-run business so this has been a great opportunity for us to promote our services and get to know the young talent in our community who may join our team in the future!”
The Solihull Apprenticeship Show was organised by Solihull Careers Hub which is part of the Council’s Employment and Skills team. Solihull Careers Hub supports schools and colleges in delivering the best careers provision for young people. Residents or local employers can get in touch with the Employment and Skills Team with employmentteam@solihull.gov.uk to find out more about the support on offer.
Editor notes:
- The Solihull Apprenticeship Show is funded by the UK Government, West Midlands Combined Authority, The Careers and Enterprise Company and Solihull Council.
- Solihull Careers Hub is funded by The Careers and Enterprise Company and Solihull Council.