Star comment: Ladder to national success
When the Express & Star proudly launched the Ladder for the Black Country three years ago, little did we know how this innovative scheme would take off.
Based on the success experienced here in the Midlands, Ladder for England will be launched this year.
At the time it was revealed that youth unemployment in Wolverhampton was the highest in England. Our initial campaign in the Black Country followed a challenge by the Duke of York to ‘find a local solution to a national problem’.
By teaming up with the Walsall-based charity The Vine Trust, Performance Through People, the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, and with the support of local councils, we had a winning partnership. Apprenticeships must be at the heart of this country’s ambitious economic goals.
They give young people the opportunity to learn on the job – giving them the skills to build a prosperous future for them. This month thousands of students and school pupils have been picking up their A-level and GCSE results.
They will be thinking about their futures and the opportunities available to them.
For a long time apprenticeships were something of a dirty word. But the reality could not be further from the truth. And thanks to campaigns like the Ladder, we have made major strides in recent years in dispelling the myths surrounding them.
University is not right for every school leaver. And with the average student now facing debt into the tens of thousands of pounds, many want direct routes into employment. Apprenticeships should not be seen as a lesser option to degrees.
There are many great careers waiting for young people. It has been an incredible journey watching apprentices prosper to become key members of staff at companies across the Black Country and Staffordshire. By creating apprenticeships, businesses are not only investing in young people but tinvesting in their own organisations.
We’d once again like to praise all those company bosses promoting apprenticeships and continue to give young people a foot up on the jobs ladder. And we also congratulate all those young people who have grabbed the opportunity of an apprenticeship and have a bright future ahead of them.
