Business leader urges Shropshire employers to recruit apprentices
A Shropshire business leader is urging employers to offer more apprenticeships as youth unemployment in Britain has reached a record high in the economic slowdown.
The Office for National Statistics has reported that 2.57 million people were out of work over the June to August period, the highest since the autumn of 1994.
There were almost one million unemployed young people. And the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance last month increased by 17,500 to 1.6 million in September.
Tony Bywater, chairman of award winning caravan dealership Salop Leisure in Shrewsbury, currently has eight apprentices on the company’s books and has always supported the recruitment of talented young people with the ambition to succeed.
The company advocates placing young apprentices with experienced members of staff who can share their knowledge and skills.
“I personally believe that it’s the duty of all employers in our county to look for ways to give young people an opportunity to work, which will benefit their businesses in the long term,” said Mr Bywater, a Shropshire Council business ambassador. “It’s a long term process and not a quick fix, but it is worth persevering.
“Young people are our future and they will play a major role in the success of our businesses for years to come.
“Salop Leisure has always believed in training and developing young people who get to know the business from an early age, take pride in it and turn out to be valuable assets to the company and good citizens.
“Too many adults are prepared to give up on young people and one of the main reasons for that is that our education system is not preparing them properly for the working life. They need to taught about values and given life skills.
“Unless the country does something about getting young people into work, we are going to have massive problems within the next decade,” he warned. “I think businesses have a moral duty to play a part in shaping the lives of young people for the benefit of the country as a whole.
“Young people are hugely talented but you sometimes have to create a little spark within them that you can develop into a fire. Every young person has a skill that is waiting to be discovered.”
Mr Bywater also called on Shropshire businesses who were recruiting graduates to give priority to those living within the county. “We should all do whatever we can to support and improve the Shropshire economy,” he added.
