Digger-giant JCB, the NHS and accountancy firm Mitten Clarke are among employers looking to fill hundreds of apprenticeship vacancies across the West Midlands.
More than 500 opportunities are up for grabs for apprentices across the region 鈥 across a range of industries from healthcare to engineering and accountancy.
And major employers came together to showcase the opportunities at an event at Vale Park in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, this week.
Festival Park-based accountancy firm Mitten Clarke has five vacancies for accounts apprentices.
Marketing assistant Jenna Daniels said: 鈥淲e are looking for young and vibrant students that are willing to learn and are very approachable and confident.
鈥淭hey are out and about every day and every day is different so we want students with a really good personality because they do have to go and speak to clients and businesses.鈥
The North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust were also in attendance at the event, to inform young people about the current opportunities available within the NHS.
These include apprenticeship schemes for social workers, nurses, clinicians and administration.
NHS representative Vicky Harvey said: 鈥淵oung people want other options and opportunities alternative to going to university, those kind of degrees can now be done within the NHS so social workers, nurses and clinician qualifications can be done via apprenticeships.
鈥淵oung people getting on those schemes will be paid while they鈥檙e earning as well as doing their degree
鈥淭here鈥檚 something for everybody so we are really promoting that for new people coming into the trust.鈥
Hanley-based training provider Juniper is currently on the look-out for two childcare apprentices.
Apprenticeship engagement officer Leighton Arnold said: 鈥淲e are looking for anyone with a keen interest in child care and any experience is great.
鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 got your maths or English we can look at that and look to upskill that.
鈥淭he main thing is for applicants to have that passion to work within the childcare industry.
鈥淔or those who want to come into apprenticeships or are not quite sure what to do, we also have the pathways or the study programme where the young person will come into the centre, can work to develop their GCSE鈥檚 up and then we also do courses like customer service, childcare or generic qualifications where they will be learning job skills and getting work experience which will get them ready to move on into the workplace.鈥
Ellie Newbrook is a business degree apprentice at Staffordshire digger-maker JCB.
The 20-year-old was in attendance at the event to champion and promote apprentices to other young people.
She said: 鈥淚鈥檓 doing a business management degree through JCB and it鈥檚 got shop floor roles, design engineers, manufacturing engineers and marketing.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving the apprenticeship, I get all the experience whilst doing my degree at the same time. It鈥檚 hard work but definitely worth it.
鈥淪chools, parents and teachers need to get on board and be a bit more aware of the opportunities that are out there.鈥
The event was organised by the West Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (WMAAN).
Apprenticeship ambassador and KMF鈥檚 training and development manager Jenny Johnston said the perception of apprenticeships is changing for the better.
She added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that we can share with young people, school leavers and college leavers that opportunities are available in our local area.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a new cohort of young people coming through every year so we need to continue to share the great stories about apprenticeships and their benefits.
鈥淵ou are getting a qualification whilst earning money, you are getting your foot in the door with that employer and the career opportunities are so vast.鈥
