Around Ealing Winter 2014-15 | Page 26

APPRENTICESHIPS ‘Such a good opportunity’ For the second year running, the council’s ‘100-in-100’ apprenticeships campaign is getting local businesses involved in creating job placements – and it is now looking for young people eager to start a career. A s the name implies, the aim of the campaign is to signup companies to pledge 100 apprenticeships in 100 days, between September and December. Last year, this target was smashed and the final total of placements pledged reached an astonishing 167, split across 75 different companies. It meant there were a huge number of apprenticeship positions waiting for the right person to fill each of them. Now the council is doing it again and we need more enthusiastic young people, aged 16-24, to come forward. As Around Ealing went to press, the target of 100 placements had already been exceeded and the number was growing by the day. The closing date for employers to contact the council’s Ealing Apprenticeship Network is 9 December. 26 around ealing Winter 2014/15 Hannah Regan ‘A GENUINE OPPORTUNITY’ Councillor Jasbir Anand, the council’s cabinet member for housing, employment and skills, said: “Modern apprenticeships are an excellent and proven route to building a career. The council is determined to support such opportunities. Our 100-in-100 campaigns have proved a tremendous success and we have now made a commitment to help create 500 apprenticeships by 2018. The high standard of placements is providing a genuine opportunity for dedicated young people to make their way in life – and providing enthusiastic new members of staff for local business. I would urge anyone interested in getting involved to contact our Ealing Apprenticeship Network.” CASE STUDY: THE APPRENTICE Hannah Regan, 18, was taken on as an apprentice through the network in November 2013 by chartered financial planners FPS London, based in Ealing.