Opportunity Sheffield, run by Sheffield City Council, are ‘very excited’ to be running their annual apprenticeship event for the first time in person since the pandemic.
Apprenticeships: Be Inspired will be held at Sheffield Wednesday Football club on 9 March from 12pm-4pm.
Stephen Arundel, the Social Value Manager for Sheffield City Council, works for the Employability and Skills team behind Opportunity Sheffield.
He said: “Apprenticeships have been part of the fabric of working life in South Yorkshire for centuries, yet they are still viewed as a second class choice to Higher Education.
“Opportunity Sheffield understands the positive impact that apprenticeships provide for our city, and will always strive to support our local employers and the young people of Sheffield to get the best start into their world of work.”
Apprenticeships are paid opportunities which offer on-and-off-the-job training and lead to nationally recognised qualifications.
Aimed at teens in school Years 11-13, there have been over 20 Sheffield schools who have signed up to the event.
In 2021 and 2022, Be Inspired took place online and saw a lower number of students and employers attending.
Mr Arundel said: “It didn’t allow for the engagement that comes with face to face interaction.
“There’s a great sense of excitement within our team and with the employers knowing that nearly 100 students will secure an apprenticeship from this one event.”
Confirmed to be attending the event are 60 employers, including Forgemasters, Rolls Royce, and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Local employers who are interested in exhibiting at the event are encouraged to send an email to apprenticeshipready@sheffield.gov.uk by 28 February.
