Survey reveals career motivations for Lancashire's job hunters

Almost 40 per cent of young people surveyed in Lancashire believe that work experience, rather than qualifications alone, will give them the edge in the competitive jobs market.

Successful businessmen, Sir Richard Branson and Lord Sugar, were identified as the famous person respondents most aspire to be like and jointly received half of the votes, with a number citing that wealth, how they conduct their business and vision were the qualities they admired most.

The research was carried out by Blackburn-based training provider, Training 2000, which provides vocational training programmes across Lancashire, including apprenticeships.

Steve Gray, chief executive at Training 2000, said: “The results were very interesting and provided a great insight into the thoughts of young people in the area.

“We were surprised to see that bank balance was the most popular choice for how they will measure their success in the future, because salary is just one factor of many that can be attributed to being successful.

“Job fulfilment, training and a healthy work-life balance are also very important, and we believe that is why Apprenticeships are often such a popular choice for young people.”