A campaign launched to create 1,000 new apprentices in Birmingham and Solihull is set to generate even more jobs in the region after being extended.
Ladder for Greater Birmingham was created in 2018 to connect employers with training providers and potential members of staff and drive the apprenticeship model in the two areas.
It has now received a fresh round of funding from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) to continue its work with the aim of creating an extra 500 apprenticeship roles and is already close to recruiting the first 100.
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The Ladder initiative is run by community development group The Vine Trust and training provider Performance Through People with funding from the GBSLEP and Birmingham and Solihull Training Provider Network, with BirminghamLive as media partner.
Among the highlights of the first phase of the campaign was an award ceremony held at Edgbaston stadium last July which saw Kevin Naylor, a support worker from West Midlands Ambulance Service, crowned the overall Apprentice of the Year.
Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards 2020
The Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards are back for a second year, in partnership with the Ladder for Greater Birmingham. The event will be held online only on Friday November 27, 2020 and will celebrate apprentices, employers and training and education providers.
The deadline to enter has now passed - - but sponsorship opportunities are still available.
If you have any questions about the awards in general, please email paige.jackson@reachplc.com and contact nikki.kandola@reachplc.com if you would like to learn more about becoming a commercial partner of the awards.
For more information and please follow the hashtag #BAA20 for updates on social media.
Kevin Davis, chief executive of The Vine Trust and chairman of the Ladder campaign, said: "Following the success of the last 12 months, we are so pleased that, with the support of GBSLEP, we are able to extend the campaign in Greater Birmingham.
"In addition to raising the profile of apprenticeships in the region, our partnership with BusinessLive through the Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards, has inspired apprentices, training providers and employers alike to collaborate in investing into our skills base.
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"In these challenging times, the foundation, more than ever, is committed to helping make sure apprenticeships are part of the solution to our collective recovery."
Tim Pile, chairman of Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, added: "Maintaining a skilled workforce will be crucial to rebuilding our economy in light of covid-19.
"It is essential that we promote opportunities for our young people to invest in their future and gain new skills.
"The Ladder for Greater Birmingham supports our ongoing commitment to ensuring we raise the aspirations of our young people and provide them with the skills that industries need to drive economic growth and speed recovery throughout the region.
"Our continued support of the initiative is testament to the impact it has made over the last year."
To find out more about the Ladder campaign and how employing apprentices can benefit your business, visit or call 03332 409 699