Employers are being invited to register for a free event to explore how apprenticeships can help business growth.

The free event will be taking place at 4pm on Thursday, February 13 at University College Isle of Man’s (UCM) Homefield Road Campus.

Through the interactive event, a panel of industry experts will share their experience of the benefits of apprenticeship schemes for their organisations.

The panel represents a wide range of industries including; Shelley Langan-Newton, chief executive of award-winning tech company SQR, Peter Reid, who is chair of Skills Isle of Man and former island director and head of banking operations at Lloyds Bank, Christopher Hood, engineering manager at Triumph, Jason Bissel, chair of Biosphere Isle of Man and Will Bellamy, head of the ambulance service at Manx Care.

The panel will also include Olly Newton who has spent 12 years at the UK’s Department for Education, most recently as head of apprenticeship strategy.

The event is a collaboration of Skills Isle of Man, UCM, The Department of Education, Sport and Culture and the Department for Enterprise (DfE) who have joined forces for National Apprenticeship Week (NAW25), aiming to highlight the benefits apprenticeship schemes have for businesses.

Mr Reid said: ‘This event is a great opportunity for organisations to find out how having apprentices could benefit a business.

‘As business leaders, entrepreneurs and managers, we are all aware of the part we play in developing the next generation of the workforce, but most of all we have to make sure that this endeavour supports business operation, goals and growth. This event will really tackle this head on.

‘When we think of apprenticeships we often think of more traditional trades, such as construction and engineering, but this model is being adopted more widely in industries such as tech, healthcare and finance, with great success.’

To register for your free place, go online to www.ucm.ac.im/NAW25