Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships provide a way of learning while you work, covering a wide range of areas including more than 180 careers in around 80 industry sectors.

The Apprenticeships Service on 0800 015 0600 or www.apprenticeships.org.uk will provide further information.

The Regional Minister believes they can have a real positive impact on both the individual and the employer.

Earlier in the year the Minister opened the £1 million Greater Manchester SkillCentre in Trafford, which will benefit over 1,000 trainees every year in areas that are important to the local economy such as engineering, gas services and construction.

Mrs Hughes said: "This fantastic state-of-the-art centre will make a big difference to ensuring that people from Greater Manchester can be better equipped with key skills and practical experience to respond to the fast moving changes in the economy to meet new business needs.

"The challenge we face is that within the next decade the number of unskilled jobs will reduce significantly, and our people will need higher levels of skills to compete with other rising economies, especially China and India. We must ensure that the North West workforce is not left behind.

"We must unlock talent, upgrade skills and back innovation so that we can create a new role for Britain in the global economy and prevent untapped and wasted talent."

While opening the new centre, the Regional Minister stressed the importance of the Government's agenda of investment in training to meet the region's economic needs in the future. Her visit came in the same week the Government launched its New Opportunities White Paper, which sets out how families and communities can be helped through these difficult economic times and ensure that everyone - no matter what their background - has the chance of a better future.

 
The NW Regional Skills and Employment Board has been asked following a JEC meeting to provide a report on the regional skills needed for the upturn. With the world economy set to double including expanding digital and green job markets, the Regional Minister is urging that the region is ready to seize the opportunities this presents, ensuring that better jobs can be captured by everyone.