It's our duty to nurture our young

Jul 14 2010 by James Ramsbotham, The Journal

SCHOOLS and colleges across the region are fast approaching their final lessons before the very welcome six-week summer holiday. But for many pupils and students, their last school days have already passed. They are now waiting for their results to be announced in August.

School leavers aged from 16-19 will have taken part in their last lessons, sat their last exams and written their last essays. While large numbers may be looking at continuing their education at school, college, or university, many will now be preparing to enter the world of work.

Thousands of young people in the North East will be turning to the region’s business community for the first step on their career path.

The region’s businesses, in turn, will want to help keep the talent of these young people here to help their businesses to flourish and grow. In so doing they will help strengthen the North East’s economy as we exit the recession.

I believe that we all have a responsibility to support these young people to develop their careers in the North East. The region boasts an incredibly talented pool of youngsters who are having an outstanding impact on all kinds of businesses.

Some school leavers, of course, will want to combine the possibility of further study with making a living. They can do this by taking up an apprenticeship. The North East business community responds very well to the needs of these young people, by providing structured opportunities for all sorts of apprenticeships.

The North East Chamber of Commerce itself is proud to be able to offer businesses the chance to recruit apprentices to meet their needs in a range of disciplines.

There are some fantastic young apprentices in the region at the moment, and over the summer hundreds more school leavers will be looking to training in the career of their choice. NECC offers businesses the chance to recruit and develop these youngsters and I have seen at close hand how successful these apprentices can become.

It is clear that both the apprentices and the companies who employ them have a lot to gain from NECC’s apprenticeship scheme.

:: James Ramsbotham is chief executive of North East Chamber of Commerce