Local MP Alan Mak met with apprentices from Portsmouth Water ahead of hosting his fourth Havant Jobs, Apprenticeships and Careers Fair on Friday (15 March).
The visit took place during National Apprenticeships Week, an annual celebration of apprenticeships that takes place around the country.
Alan is the former Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships and is a strong supporter of boosting the number of young people considering an apprenticeship as a career option. Government figures show that last year more than 600 people from the Havant constituency started an apprenticeship.
He said: “Apprenticeships give young people an opportunity to learn a valuable skill while earning at the same time. They also raise the productivity of the businesses they join and I was delighted to meet Portsmouth Water’s local apprentices and see the work they do locally to support our infrastucture.”
It comes ahead of Alan’s fourth Jobs, Apprenticeships and Careers Fair taking place on Friday. At the event there will be hundreds of apprenticeships on offer from organisations such as Superdrug, Eaton Hydraulics, Royal Air Force and Specsavers.
The Fair, which has attracted thousands of residents over the past three years, will again be held at Havant Leisure Centre on Friday from 10am to 2pm. There will be around 60 exhibitors at the event from a range of different sectors as well as specialist workshops being provided by the National Careers Service on CV building and job interview techniques.
Alan added: “It is fantastic that we have so many excellent local firms offering high quality apprenticeships in our constituency and I encourage anyone thinking about starting one to come on the day to find out more.”
Portsmouth Water currently have approximately 40 members of staff who have either served or are currently serving their apprenticeships with the company, with opportunities for employees to go onto to further study including completing Degree and MSc qualifications.
Portsmouth Water CEO Bob Taylor said: “It was brilliant for Alan to meet with our hardworking team of apprentices as part of National Apprenticeships Week. We are proud of the work that they do to contribute to our business and we will continue to invest in our programme offering high quality apprenticeships to young people from the local area.”
