More than 40 city residents of all ages recently took advantage of the opportunity to speak with current and former apprentices during the recent ‘Ask an Apprentice’ event at City of Wolverhampton Civic Centre.

Sponsored by Wolves Workbox, it was attended by apprentices from Marston’s, Wolverhampton Homes and City of Wolverhampton Council. 

Local people were able to ask apprentices a range of questions, such as why they chose to become an apprentice, why they took their chosen career paths and what are their top tips for a successful application?

The wealth of information available on Wolves WorkBox was showcased, including the live local vacancies page, which lists all current apprenticeship opportunities available in the city. 

Representatives from the Wolves at Work and Black Country Impact employment programmes were also present to offer additional support to residents in finding the right opportunities, and in preparing for the apprenticeship application process.  

Michelle Sawyer, an apprentice at Wolverhampton Homes, who started her employment journey at 40 years of age, said: “I really enjoyed the event and the opportunity to meet people that are in a similar situation that I was in 6 years ago. 

“I was able to encourage them to start thinking about an apprenticeship and to reassure them that you are never too old to learn. 

“Being an apprentice gives you the opportunity to get hands-on experience of working life and to gain qualifications.  

“I would never have dared dream I would be in a position where I’m working and feeling part of society, all of which would never have been possible without my apprenticeship.” 

Jo Bradford, Marston’s Apprenticeship Manager, said: “We were delighted to be invited to be part of the Ask an Apprentice event.  

“It is so important those looking for work get access to as much information as possible, and Marston’s was delighted to be on hand with an engineering apprentice and a credit control apprentice.  

“There are so many industries to consider, it’s a minefield, so the opportunity for us to promote hospitality positions, office roles, driving engineering routes at Marston’s was not to be missed and we hope we have inspired the residents of Wolverhampton.” 

Anybody interested in apprenticeships should log on to WorkBox Apprenticeships to learn more.