Youngsters meet potential employers at apprenticeship expo

More than 2,000 budding apprentices turned out for Lancashire’s largest ever apprenticeship recruitment event at the Guild Hall in Preston.

The free event attracted major national employers including Sainsbury’s, BT and the NHS, as well as many other large organisations including BAE Systems, Leyland Trucks and Lancashire County Council.

Around 50 employers exhibited at the event, collectively bringing hundreds of apprenticeship vacancies spanning healthcare, business, engineering, construction and much more.

Each of the Apprenticeships offer a chance to earn while you learn, gaining valuable work experience, transferable skills and nationally-recognised qualifications from Level 2 to Level 7.

The event was run in partnership with Preston’s College, University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire Constabulary, Office of Police & Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Andrew Richardson, lead organiser of the event, concluded: “We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. The benefits of an apprenticeship are well documented and it was great to see so many people, especially soon-to-be school-leavers and their parents, showing an interest in apprenticeships. “Academic or vocational study routes which lead on to university isn’t the right choice for everyone. The Expo was there to highlight the growing market for Apprenticeships across Lancashire as well as the value in good training alongside employment."