UK Skills Show to launch in November

A Skills Show dedicated to promoting apprenticeships to youngsters will launch at the NEC Birmingham this November. The Skills Show will include have a go events and competitions to showcase engineering skills. The Skills Show is billed as a UK only version of WorldSkills- an international skills exhibition, which drew over 200,000 visitors when it was held in London this October. The Skills Show exhibition will be held in an area equivalent to the size of nine football pitches and aims to attract tens of thousands of visitors. Organisers are calling for manufacturing employers to exhibit or team up as event sponsors. Speaking at the launch of a new National Apprenticeship Service campaign in parliament, minister for skills John Hayes MP, said: "These young people are an inspiration to anyone looking to break in to their chosen industry. They show how the gold standard training in the apprenticeship programme can be a launch pad for careers across all sectors. Jaine Bolton, director of the National Apprenticeship Service, also commented: "Encouraging more people to take up quality apprenticeships is absolutely vital in equipping young people with the skills they need for the future – and the skills that Britain needs to grow. Quite simply, there has never been a better time to offer or take an apprenticeship and our campaign will help ensure this is known across the country."