WEDNESDAY 12 JANUARY - Launch of 100 in 100 Apprenticeships Challenge

This evening a special event took place at the Holiday Inn in Taunton organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). It's purpose was to launch the Somerset "100 in 100" Challenge. The target is for 100 new apprenticeship places to be achieved across the county in 100 days and to encourage more employers to create apprenticeship opportunities within their workforces. This is part of the national drive to encourage more adults and young people to pursue this vocational route for career development.

My role was to help the launch by making a speech in my capacity as Chairman of the Somerset Employment and Skills Board. It was an opportunity to speak about Somerset Care's commitment to apprenticeships. In Somerset Care Ltd we currently have 149 members of staff undertaking Apprenticeship or Advanced Apprenticeship programmes. In Somerset Care at Home the number is 145. This is an impressive number that underlines our ongoing commitment to training and staff development.


I also had the opportunity to speak about the huge contribution to the promotion and support to apprenticeships across the South West by our own team in Acacia Training and Development. In the picture above are NAS Officer Jack Fleming with members of the ATD Taunton team Linda Okiniewska, Mandy Bridge, Maggie Busek and Liz Grigg.

Location:Taunton