On January 24^th the Chamber was involved in running an Apprenticeship and Careers Fair as part of its leadership of the  Salisbury Education & Business Partnership (SEBP)

27 local employers, many of them Chamber members, took part in the Fair. It was hosted by Salisbury Sixth Form College (S6C) with more employer stands at Wiltshire College and University Centre. Over 800 pupils from all the local secondary schools visited during the day and in the evening there was a session for parents to find out about local apprenticeship opportunities and hear from speakers on the whole range of apprenticeships including degree apprenticeships which are now an increasingly popular alternative to going to university.  

Ben Hillier (Head of S6C) seen with the Mayor Cllr Tom Corbin explains why it was so important to hold the fair:

We are delighted to have had this opportunity to collaborate with the Salisbury Education and Business Partnership – The Fair is an important part of the careers programme here at S6C, it allows students to meet a wide variety of local employers and learn about the apprenticeship opportunities and skills required by employers for the future. Providing students with a broad and balanced careers education is crucial to their success and in raising their aspirations.
The atmosphere all day was incredibly positive and the event affirmed our commitment to giving our students and the wider community a high quality careers education along with promoting local businesses and the wealth of opportunities that are available..

Employers that took part in the event were DSTL, QinetiQ, GoSkydive, Wiltshire Council, A Plan Insurance, JAS Hair, Sheldrake Training, Sopra Steria, Alabaré, Roche Court, The RAF, Moore Accountants, Scarce Architects, SSE, Steve Vick Engineering, The University of Winchester, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Babcock, Chemring Countermeasures, Wiltshire Creative, Aspire Defence, Wessex Archaeology, The Army, Trethowans, Salisbury Reds, Wessex Water, Personnel Placements.

You can find out more about all the employers taking part and the apprenticeships they offer at Apprenticeships in Salisbury 

Quotes:

Maggie Fowler who runs  Apprenticeships in Salisbury said: “Young people have so much to think about as they consider their options on leaving school. It’s hard to keep up to date with all the opportunities that are available to them. By bringing together local employers from so many different sectors we can help them start to make informed decisions. I hope that this Fair will become an annual event. Any Chamber members that regularly take on apprentices and would like to be involved, should get in touch with [email protected] “

Wyvern St.Emunds Year 10 pupil: “I LOVED speaking to all the employers, everyone was super friendly. I think this was a great idea and I really enjoyed it (and I got gifts to remember – bonus!). Everyone made the day very enjoyable today. Thank you.”

Bishop Wordsworth Yr 10 pupil “I have a much better understanding of engineering apprenticeships”

Jodie Peach  Sheldrake Training “It was such a valuable day,”

Gareth Jones, Careers Lead, Sarum Academy   “Simply put, it was the most relevant careers event I think I have attended in my time as a careers leader. Our students got a huge amount from it and I saw, and received, feedback of some quality conversations and interactions.”

The event received support from The Swindon and Wiltshire Careers Hub which ensures all secondary schools and colleges in the area deliver high quality careers education that inspires young people for the fast-changing world of work and prepares them to be able to make their best next step on their career journey.