I was fortunate that I knew from quite an early age that I wanted to be a lawyer. Back in those days there was only one path into such a career which included completing A-Levels and then attending law school. 

This worked well for me, however, perhaps mercifully, times have changed and our education system no longer requires a one size fits all approach. Apprenticeships now form a crucial part of our diverse, modern education system.  Had they been available to me as a young girl, I know I would have been interested. They allow people to earn money whilst they learn a new skill and provide a direct path into a career. They are also now available in almost any sector imaginable from accountancy to engineering to emergency services.

Apprenticeships are, without doubt, an equally viable alternative to Higher Education. However, many young people are still not aware of their benefits and more must therefore be done to bang the drum for their advantages. With this in mind I have joined forces with my colleagues Tracey Crouch, Tom Tugendhat and Helen Whately to host the 2nd Maidstone Apprenticeship Fair at Maidstone Leisure Centre on Friday 8th February. 

After the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Fair will again bring together, under one roof, over 700 sixth form students representing schools across Mid and West Kent with an array of local and national blue-chip apprentice employers including; BAE Systems, KPMG, Barclays and the Army. It will allow our young people to find out more about the range of apprenticeship opportunities available and what that might mean for their own career choices.

If you are a business who employs apprentices, or a school with pupils who want to find out more about what apprenticeships have to offer then there is still time to get involved. Please do just get in touch with me at helen.grant.mp@parliament.uk for more details.