Bringing youth, community and business together again!The South London Apprenticeship fair attracted more than 700 young people to its first event last year. This shows how eager young people are to find routes to a successful career.Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the SLAF event has been copied in various forms across South London since its 2011 launch.Supported by the colleges, schools, youth organisations, Job Centre Plus, NAS, councilors, apprenticeship brokers& providers, the Met, army, cadets, fire services, charities and small businesses, the event covered many angles of interests and possibilities; young graduates, school leavers, college leavers, entrepreneurs, self-employed and anyone else looking for knowledge, advise, assistance, funding, mentor, work experience, apprenticeships and jobs – SLAF had it on offer.New Job Sectors and Career Routes addedThis year, SLAF is providing ever more new routes into new job sectors, widening young people’s horizons and sowing the seeds for rewarding careers in industries they had previously never even considered.Our unique selling point however lies in bringing the service to the inner city, widening employer access to the brightest and most motivated young people locally. Also providing the environment for those hardest to reach giving them confidence to face employers and find sell their potential directly.SLAF also facilitates opportunities to form networks of connections between local service providers, SMEs, local groups such as churches, housing associations, Local Authorities, tenants & residents associations and youth centers which are heavy with concern for young people in their local area.This year, in addition to our job, employability and apprenticeship zones, we will be putting a major focus on entrepreneurs and self-employment. Many young people polled intend to start their own businesses and the reason they feel able to do this centers on the possibilities created by ‘technology’. Entrepreneur & technology will be a combined zone showcasing advice from HMRC, banks, credit unions, legal and accounting firms and office space providers. There will be seminars discussing business models and markets, social networks and internet marketing, social entrepreneurs; different types of funding, government assistance and other routes to successful startups and putting ideas to work.Calling all South London BusinessesWe are calling on small businesses across the borough to give work placements/experience opportunities, apprenticeship, internships and jobs to young people. Our newspaper (created by young volunteers) will provide space to advertise any workplace opportunities your business has to offer.Minister for Apprenticeship John Hayes has again been invited to launch the event along with our patron Shaun Bailey (special advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron). We also have other big surprise guests to give out the prizes won from competitions running on our website: www.southlondonapprenticeshipfair.co.ukFounder and Executive Producer –Loanna Morrison and all the members of the planning team are volunteers.Contact: [email protected]/slaf
