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80,000 young people expected to attend WorldSkills LIVE
In excess of 20,000 job opportunities, apprenticeships, work experience and training courses will be on offer to more than 80,000 young people attending the UK’s biggest vocational gateway-to-work event.
Taking place from 21 – 23 November at the NEC Birmingham, WorldSkills UK LIVE is packed with hands-on exhibits, Q&A sessions with leading employers, and the chance to try out a range of bite-sized work-based skills across a huge range of careers.
Dozens of the UK’s major employers, organisations and educators will have a high-profile presence at LIVE in their quest to recruit the next generation of high-fliers. Among them will be BAE Systems, Toyota Manufacturing UK, BMW, Coca-Cola and Airbus.
More than 80,000 young people are expected to attend WorldSkills LIVE which takes place at the NEC between 21st & 23rd November / Picture: WorldSkills UK
For the first time, the free-to-attend interactive event will be streamed live with several daily broadcasts, ‘Live at LIVE’, and expected to reach tens of thousands of young people who are unable to travel to the West Midlands.
WorldSkills UK, the organisation behind LIVE, will be sharing top tips from its international medal-winning mental strength training which is used to train its elite team of young women and men who excelled in this summer’s ‘skills Olympics’ to help young people prepare for the challenges of work.
While mental health charities, organisations and experts will use the event as a hub to pass on best practice, helpful hints and practical advice to young people, parents and teachers about how to tackle mental health issues in school and the workplace.
Ben Blackledge, deputy chief executive of WorldSkills UK, said: “Twenty thousand jobs, apprenticeships and training courses – all under one roof. This is an exceptional opportunity for anyone looking to secure skills and a rewarding career.
“We want to give young people an inspirational insight into what their future career could be, and by working with the UK’s leading employers, education and training organisations at LIVE they can access careers advice and see the skills they need to reach their full potential.”
Among the initiatives taking place at LIVE are:
The Million Minds Tour
The Million Minds Tour culminates at LIVE with an attempt to deliver the world’s largest mental health lesson to young people (Friday 22 November) – with influencers, experts and coaches passing on tips and techniques to improve mental strength and wellbeing. British grime and hip-hop rapper, singer and producer Lady Leshurr from Solihull will be among those providing the live entertainment, with explorer and extreme athlete Ash Dykes, and DIY SOS star Mark Millar, sharing their inspirational career stories.
Mental Strength Panel
On Saturday 23 November, The Mix, a UK-based charity providing young people with support and advice on mental wellbeing issues, has put together a talented panel consisting of influencers and experts to address questions from the audience about health and wellbeing.
VR Careers Guidance
The world’s first customised virtual reality careers guidance where visitors will be able to discover what career and course opportunities are available and best suited to them based on their interests and personality traits, all through an immersive VR experience called VICTAR.
UK National Finals
The LIVE event is also the backdrop for the all-important national finals of the WorldSkills UK competitions. More than 500 apprentices and students will compete in over 70 different disciplines – battling to be the best in the UK and hoping to secure the opportunity to compete to represent the UK at the WorldSkills Finals, known as the ‘skills Olympics’ in Shanghai in 2021.