Alegacyfromthe Ladder forthe Black Country

KevinDavis, thechairmanofthe LadderApprenticeshipFoundation,explainsthe importanceof theLadderfor theBlack Country Apprenticeship Awards 2022: My earlycongratulationtoall thenomineesand eventual winners!

As chairman of theLadderApprenticeship Foundation,I am so pleasedthe Ladderawardsare coming to theBlack Country, in thefantastic venueofWolverhamptonGrand Station.

In 2014,wetranslatedthe Ladderfor London newspaper campaigntothe Black Country, and subsequently Shropshire,Staffordshire, andBirmingham,facilitatingthe creation of thousands of newapprenticeships through ourpartnershipswithnewsgroups likethe MidlandNewsAssociation

With theLadderfor Coventry andWarwickshirelaunchedlast year,wehavegreat ambitions, to addressthe skills, andjobschallenges of ourtime.

With thehelpofour patrons, we will spanacrossthe country with aview, throughour Ladder forEngland Campaign,togoon to newCombinedAuthority/Metro mayoralty areas, leavingwehope, alasting legacy

In theBlack Country, we are grateful to thetrainingprovider networks,the BlackCountry Local Enterprise Partnership, WolverhamptonCityCouncil, andnoless theMNA andits Express& Star title, becausethe Ladder legacy only works becauseofthiscollaboration –our biggestand extensiveinitiative yet.

Iamsopleased that theBlack CountryApprenticeshipAwards, likeits otherMidland’s counterparts, will be oneofthose legacies, alongside theopening of Walsall’s newLadderSchoolbuilding, a multi-million poundalternative provisionthatwill be supporting some of themostdisadvantaged students, that need atailored approach to both teachingand learning.

TheLadderApprenticeship Foundation is, throughthisseason, championingthe ‘Ladderof Opportunity’ –the mobility of learners through, educationand work.

We believea diversity of apprenticeshipsare akey factor towardsa more mobile,and just society.

This is more so thecasegiven thecoronavirus pandemic’s disproportionateimpactonsome of thosecommunities,and we have to addressthatmisbalance, andthe challengeofmatchingvacancies to thepotential apprenticesinthe area.

These awards will magnifythe best of thosechampioning thiseffort andItrust,beaveryenjoyable nightfor all.

We detail allthe categories andthe businesses andorganisations that aresponsoring them in this supplement.

Afresh supplement will be featured in thenewspaper just before the awards that will detail allofthe finalistswho will each receivetwo complimentary ticketstothe awards