Thousands attend latest Telford Skills Show with employers offering up tasty opportunities

More than 4,000 people – including 2,300 pre-booked school pupils from across Shropshire – and 2,000 members of the public of all ages visited the show at Telford International Centre.

Last year, the show saw 3,000 people visit the cavernous internal arena.

On Thursday (March 27) there were some 44 exhibitors from a range of employers including the RAF, Schneider Electric Ltd, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Ltd, and the Shrewsbury Town Foundation.

Jacob Perry, regional catering manager of Shire Living, part of the Housing Plus Group, said: “It has been a brilliant show, I have found three or four really good nuggets of potential employees.”

The not-for-profit Housing Plus Group as a whole has between 35 and 40 apprenticeship roles available with two available in catering.

Mr Perry said pending increases in National Insurance means they are having to become more creative.

Mr Perry, who was cooking up treats for visitors with his team, said: “The National Insurance rises coming in are having an impact, including with our suppliers.

“It means that we have to be a little bit more creative. We grow vegetables on our 12 retirement living schemes and involve the residents in that.”

He said one of the moves was to create ‘Bert’s Homemade Leek and Potato Soup’ from vegetables grown by a resident.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s Job Box team co-ordinates the annual event which brings employers in the public and private sector together in a showcase of employment, apprenticeship and training opportunities across the region.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds is the council's cabinet member for children, young people, education, employment and skills.

She said: “We have a bouyant jobs market in Telford; the fact that employers are here shows they are really keen.”

Councillor Reynolds, a teacher and lecturer, says the borough’s focus is on being a “business winning council".

The show, she said, helps to showcase the council’s efforts to increase skills of people so more companies are attracted to the borough by a workforce that is ready.

“People want to move to Telford, where we have the lowest council tax in the Midlands, have invested in our industrial estates and are providing a really good workforce,” said Coucillor Reynolds.

She added that the event, rebranded from the Apprenticeship Show some time ago, showcases an “all age skill strategy".

“We place a huge amount of emphasis on ensuring every resident has access to employment, training and good apprenticeship opportunities and that is why this event, which showcases the very best of those opportunities, is so important.

“Telford is a great place to live and work and this event highlights the fantastic employment, training and apprenticeship opportunities which are on the doorstep.”

Rob Bennion, the learner manager for A-Level at Telford College, said they shape their curriculum to help meet the needs of businesses.

The college is creating a new sixth form centre at Station Quarter, Telford, which will enable it to double the number of students from 300 to 600 at the new site.

Returning to the show was Freddie Whiles, 21, who now works full-time for Dyke Yaxley Charted Accountants after first registering his interest in roles at the 2023 event.

Freddie was working previously at Lidl doing stocktaking and signed up after learning about the trainees Dyke Yaxley were looking to recruit.

Officers at Telford & Wrekin Council said the event is organised on a ‘zero budget’ basis. It makes money from selling stalls to exhibitors and by signing up event sponsors, this year being the council, the Careers & Enterprise Company, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Telford College and Harper Adams University.

Added to this is a time commitment from some 30 Telford & Wrekin Council staff who volunteer to help organise the event on the day.