Theo Paphitis, star of BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den, is now patron of The Skills Show that is open to the public at the NEC, Birmingham, from Thursday 15th November to Saturday 17th November. Running for the first time, The Skills Show is a skills and careers event, offering exciting opportunities in further education, skills and apprenticeships.
Delivered in partnership with the Skills Funding Agency and the National Apprenticeship Service, with premier sponsorship from City & Guilds, The Skills Show raises awareness of the importance of vocational skills and careers. Up to 100,000 visitors are expected, notably students of all ages, parents, teachers and employers.
Visitors can see a wide range of national skills competition finals and take part in a variety of ‘have a go’ activities, where over 50 different skills can be tried at first hand – from aircraft engineering to visual merchandising to web design or welding. They can also receive information and advice on training, career choices and apprenticeships.
Paphitis commented, “Skills are of vital importance to economic growth in the UK. The show will inspire a new generation to get the most from further education, skills and apprenticeships. The event is free and open to students of all ages and is an absolute must for anyone thinking about their future career.” Paphitis will personally attend events taking place from Wednesday 14th November to Friday 16th November.
Ross Maloney, chief executive of The Skills Show, said, “Theo is an example of someone who, as a teenager, built his confidence through skills gained during work-based learning. As patron of The Skills Show, he inspires young people to learn more about training, career choices and apprenticeships, to help make that important next step.”
The event (www.theskillsshow.com) will aim bring to life the best of the UK’s colleges, apprenticeship and training providers with live performances, interactive demonstrations and exhibitions by groups of students from across the UK.
There will also be interactive manufacturing and further education displays and a bespoke employer programme led by the Apprenticeship Ambassadors’ network backed by specialist advice on apprenticeship recruitment.
The Skills Show will also incorporate the main public awards events – Apprenticeship Awards, National Training Awards and the TES Further Education Awards for colleges and training organisations.
Paphitis concluded, “As skills patron for The Skills Show, I’m passionate about improving skills levels across the UK and ensuring that young people know about the huge range of opportunities available to them. We need to help young people achieve their true potential by helping them discover the skills that enthuse and inspire them. The Skills Show provides a wonderful opportunity for young people, or those looking for a new direction, to get face to face careers advice, and also to literally ‘have a go’ and learn new skills. The only way our economy can grow is to ensure we have the skills to be competitive and ensure our future workforce develops skills for the future. The starting point is The Skills Show.”
