Skills Show 2014 coming to inspire tomorrow’s creators

The Skills Show is an event offering hands-on experiences designed to inspire and provide information and advice for young people of all ages, and provides a showcase for the nation’s variety of skills.

Visitors have the chance to have a go at a variety of work-based skills, get impartial advice from careers professionals and speak to a range of employers, colleges and training providers. Spotlight stages across the event allow visitors to get an insider’s view of different industries, hearing from “real people doing real jobs”, while representatives from leading employer brands and both the National Careers Service and National Apprenticeship Service, are on hand to discuss training and employment opportunities.

More than 82,000 people visited The Skills Show in 2013, including students from over 500 schools.

The organisers also announced for the first time a partnership with the BBC this year, to bring the creative and cultural elements of the Pavilion to life, including The Skills Show Main Stage in partnership with the BBC. This year the BBC has 178 of its own BBC Apprentices working right across the UK; in TV and radio production, local journalism, interactive media, broadcast technology, business management and legal affairs.

Along with the many other employers and training providers at the Skills Show, they aim to inspire thousands of young people to follow their passions into the world of work.

“We are thrilled to have the BBC on board to work with us on The Skills Show this year,” says Gail Cohen, director of marketing, content and commercial development at The Skills Show.

Speakers at this year’s events include: Theo Paphitis, from Dragons’ Den, Carole Stott, chair of governors at City Lit in London and chair of the UK Skills Board and Ross Maloney, chief executive of Find a Future.