WARRINGTON & Co’s seventh annual Apprenticeships & Jobs Fair – the first to be held virtually – has been hailed a huge success.
The event- which gives businesses the opportunity to showcase their employment and apprenticeship opportunities to students and school leavers – took place this year on Wednesday 6 March. The current restrictions meant that the usual physical event at the Engine Rooms, Birchwood Park, was replaced by a special online event.
While the Birchwood event is always popular – usually attended by around 900 young people – moving to a digital platform meant there were no restrictions on how many could attend – and as a result, the numbers soared.
‘Learn Live’, who hosted the virtual event on behalf of Warrington & Co, has provided the following data:
· Live viewers – 3,755
· On Demand views – 2,412
· Devices used – Laptop 68%, Tablet/Phones 29% Other 2%
· Top locations: Warrington, Manchester, Liverpool, Crewe and Chester
Particularly aimed at 16-18 year-olds who are looking to enter employment this year, the event saw companies promoting entry level job vacancies and apprenticeship programmes, in a range of sectors and specialisms.
Each company prepared a short video introduction, usually a Q&A with an existing apprentice. These were pre-loaded and shown during the two-hour event. Alongside this, viewers were invited to engage in “live chat” to ask questions, which representatives of the businesses were on hand to answer.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic development and innovation, Cllr Tom Jennings, said: “It’s so important that we give our young people all the support we can in starting their careers, particularly in the current climate. Our Apprenticeships & Jobs Fair is an important part of the work we do to open up new opportunities for our school leavers and students.
“I’m delighted that this year’s event has been such a huge success. To see thousands of young people from across the borough and beyond joining the virtual event and connecting with some of the region’s biggest firms is great news all round – for our young people, for companies looking for talented new recruits, and for our economy.”
Sponsors for this year’s event are The Pledge, United Utilities and Sellafield. Companies at the event represented a range of sectors, including accountancy, business administration, construction, customer services, design, engineering, health & social care, childcare, hospitality & catering, HR, IT & Communications, logistics and marketing.
If you missed the event, the videos are still available to view at jobsliveuk.com/warrington-apprenticeships-jobs-live/
