New awardswill showcase positivesofapprenticeships Spotlightison BlackCountry apprentices

Thebrand newLadderfor the BlackCountry Apprenticeship Awards 2022 will putthe best apprentices, employersand trainingproviders in theregion firmly in thespotlight

Itisbeing organisedbythe Express&Starinconjunction with theLadderfor theBlack Countryand City of WolverhamptonCouncil

TheGrand StationinWolverhamptoncitycentre will host the firstawardsnightin itsGrand Hall on November3 when thewinnersofthe 11 categories will be announced.

Theawardsare open to apprenticesand organisations basedinthe Express&Starcirculation area in Wolverhampton, theBlack Country and Staffordshire.

Theclosing date forentries forthe apprenticeship awards is September 11

Find outhow to enteronpages 28 and29.

In September2012, the MayorofLondonatthe time,Boris Johnson, launched theLadder forLondon, supported by Buckingham Palace, theEvening Standard andLondon’sProvider Network, with theaim of tackling youthunemployment throughapprenticeships.

Thetargetof500 apprenticeship pledgesfromemployers by December2012was exceeded,and the Ladderfor London progressed to thenextphase of itscampaign, encouragingemployers andschools to utilise theapprenticeshipbrand

In early2014, aftera meeting with Buckingham Palace, Kevin

JOHN CORSER john.corser@mnamedia.co.uk

Davis, chiefexecutive of theVine TrustGroup andRob Colbourne, managing director of Walsall-based PTPTraining, committed to translate the‘Ladderfor’initiativetothe

BlackCountry

Campaign

In March 2014,Kevin ledaBlack CountrydelegationtoBuckingham Palace,which included theBlack CountryChamber of Commerce, WalsallCouncil(representingthe four BlackCountry authorities) PTPTraining(representingproviders)and akey partner, theExpress andStarnewspaper,who had agreed to collaborate in forming a15-month‘Ladder forthe Black Country’ campaign with the aimof creating 1,000 jobs throughthe apprenticeship brand.

Aftersignificant successes and recruiting in excess of 1,000 apprentices, theLadderFoundation then rolled outfresh Ladder campaigns in Shropshire, Staffordshire, GreaterBirmingham andin 2021 forCoventryand Warwickshire.

Akey themefor anyLadder project is to engage with appropriate stakeholders andtochampionthe apprenticeship brandthathas such an impact on employers, communities andofcourseindividuals

Taking apprenticestoBuckinghamPalace, St JamesPalaceand theHousesofParliamenthavebeen some of thehighlightofthe campaignss, butthe lifechangingjobs andLadderlegaciessuchasthe Department forEducation Ladder School,ApprenticeshipSkillsHUB andAnnualApprenticeshipAwards arethe real successes.

With theBlack CountryLadder beingthe launch of theLadder initiativesinthe West Midlands and beyond,itseems only rightthat this region hasanapprenticeship awards celebrationtoshowcaseall thepositivesofapprenticeships in theBlack Country.

We were delightedwhenthe Express&Startookupthe challenge to make this happen.

With full backingfromindividualssuchasAndyStreet,the West Midlands Mayor, ourpatronMP Robert Halfon whoisthe chairman of theEducation Select Committee andofcourse Martin Wright, EditorinChief of MidlandNewsAssociation,wewill continue to utilise theLadder brandtoshowcaseapprenticeshipsinthe BlackCountry andsurrounding areas.