TEES VALLEY’S BIGGEST SKILLS AND CAREERS EVENT ATTRACTS HUNDREDS OF VISITORS

Supported by the European Social Fund and National Careers Service, Tees Valley Skills was a one-day event designed to promote the wide range of learning and employment opportunities available to young people and adults in the area.

The aim of the event, held at the Grand Marquee, Wynyard Hall, Wynard, was to develop the future workforce of the Tees Valley by providing an inspirational focus to learning.

Its target audience comprised young people and adults, students at school and college, parents and carers, individuals not engaged in Employment, Education or Training, and young people with learning disabilities.

More than 55 organisations, including local colleges, learning providers, employers and universities, provided interactive skills activities and spotlight talks that both motivated and inspired more than 1,700 attendees of variety of ages and abilities.

Interactive activities included:

• Dental therapies – making temporary fillings and taking impressions of teeth
• A flight simulator for budding aerospace engineers to try
• Robots
• Animal health checks
• State make-up sessions
• Film and TV production
• Bricklaying
• Painting and decorating

Linda Edworthy, Director of Strategy & Investment at Tees Valley Unlimited, the local Enterprise Partnership for Tees Valley, said: “This year’s Tees Valley Interactive Skills Show will have helped inspire and motivate individuals to make the right decision about their future.

“Visitors were able to access careers advice, experience live demonstrations, try out new skills and learn about the employment options available in Tees Valley.

“For the Tees Valley’s economy to prosper, it is vital that people are provided with the appropriate knowledge to allow them to make the right decision for them about which career or educational path to take.”

The Tees Valley Skills Show highlighted education, training and job opportunities available across Tees Valley as well offering impartial advice to students, unemployed young adults or those looking for a change of career. Exhibitors included the Royal Navy, the Army, TTE Technical Training, Fujifilm, the Royal Air Force, South Tees Hospital NHS Trust, and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.

FE+, the Tees Valley Colleges, Director of Operations Shaun Place said: “It’s wonderful to be part of this dynamic event. Providing opportunities for learners to experience new skills and learn about potential future careers. It’s great to be able to offer students advice and provide them with options for the future”

The largest skills event for people aged 14 plus in the Tees Valley area was delivered by TVU in partnership with Tees Valley Learning Providers Network Ltd.

Jo Thompson, Marketing and Specialist Projects Officer at Tees Valley Learning Providers Network, said: “This year’s Tees Valley Skills Show has been a fantastic opportunity for employers, learning providers and colleges to engage with the future workforce.

“By providing interactive, have-a-go activities, learners have been able to develop a fuller understanding of the jobs and careers available in Tees Valley.”

The Tees Valley Skills Show is part of The Skills Show Experience, which is a nationwide programme of more than 220 events throughout the year extending the impact of The Skills Show and inspiring more than 200,000 young people across the country, unlocking their potential and shaping their future. The Skills Show Experience is part of Find a Future, the new organisation which brings together the nation’s flagship skills and careers experiences.

It also was supported by Worldskills UK, City and Guilds, the Edge Foundation, Premier Colleges, the Skills Funding Agency, the National Careers Service, and the European Social Fund.