Midlands employers "keen to invest" in trainees, says Brady
Birmingham-based businesswoman Karren Brady has told Insider that she thinks the Midlands is home to “an entrepreneurial attitude”. Speaking in her role as an ambassador for Apprenticeships Week, Brady said it was “great to see businesses in the region so keen to invest in apprenticeships and the local economy”.
Brady was promoting the work of apprentices during the national campaigning week, as Coventry-based Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced its intention to double the number of placements it offered to trainees over the next year.
Apprenticeship Week began on Monday (7 February) and continues until Friday (11 February). The campaign aims to encourage employers to take on trainees who can learn a trade on the job.
Brady, who appears on BBC reality TV show The Apprentice alongside Lord Alan Sugar, said apprenticeships were “a highly important issue” for businesses and the economy.
She said: “I myself didn’t go to university and started my first job straight out of school from which I built my career, so I’m a great believer in vocational education and the great value that training on the job provides.
“As a businesswoman myself, it’s fantastic to see so many leaders from the UK’s top businesses coming together to discuss how we can really make a difference to people, business and the economy.”
Brady added it was “key” that apprenticeships bridge the gap between what companies need in order to grow and provide young and older people with hands on experience, guidance and qualifications.
The Birmingham-based businesswoman, who now holds the post of vice-chair of West Ham United Football Club, said that the Midlands businesses had an “entrepreneurial attitude” about them.
She said: “It’s great to see that employers in the Midlands are keen and driven to grow their business and provide their staff with training and skills – and great that they’re so keen so invest in apprenticeships and the future of our economy.”
Several of the region’s major companies have backed Apprenticeships Week, including manufacturing giant JLR.
JLR, which has plants in Coventry and Warwick, said it will double its intake of apprentices this year to 104.
Jaguar Land Rover’s human resources director Des Thurlby said: "The Jaguar Land Rover business is at the leading edge of research and development of exciting new products and technologies. We are dedicated to the training and development of our employees and our award winning apprentice scheme has been developing a generation of engineers for many years.
"We are delighted that we have been able to double the intake of advanced apprentices in 2011 to 104 places. In the last five years more than 200 apprentices have joined the company to complete a course which aims to deliver the very best quality programme to educate, inform and empower young people. These individuals will ultimately help drive the future of our business."
