Apprentices help shoppers

11 February 2011, 11:57 | Updated: 21 February 2011, 15:06

Shoppers in the centre:mk were treated to one to one hair colour consultations on Monday courtesy of apprentice hairdressers from Milton Keynes College.

The free treat was part of National Apprenticeship Week which runs from 7 – 11 February to highlight the value of apprenticeships to young people, their parents and local employers.

The hairdressers, who are learning their trade via the college and in work placements in salons in the Milton Keynes area, were joined by representatives from apprenticeship training providers as well as Milton Keynes Council, Connexions and Employee Business Partnership Countec, who were offering advice and information to young people considering how best to start their career. 

Paul Shanley from Children and Young People’s Services at Milton Keynes Council helped to organise events during National Apprenticeship Week. He said: “The event was a really good way to show people how beneficial apprenticeships can be. They give young people the opportunity to get paid and train at the same time. We demonstrated just one career path in the shopping centre on Monday but there are almost 200 job roles covered by apprenticeships from accountancy and veterinary nursing to engineering and IT.”

As well as the shopping centre event, Connexions:MK also invited anyone who is interested in finding out more about apprenticeships to an information fair on Thursday (10 February). The event was held at The Point in Central Milton Keynes and was a chance for people to drop in and find out more about how an apprenticeship can help young people get into work and training, and also for employers to find out how an apprentice can boost their business.

Apprentices have been proven to increase productivity and employees who have taken on an apprentice typically notice a return on their investment within four to six months. The government fully fund training for apprentices aged between 16 and 18 with the employer covering the cost of the salary.

For more information about apprenticeships, log on to www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.