Published Friday 6 September 2019 at 11:41
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has welcomed more than 30 new apprentices to its team.
The new recruits met for the first time this week at an induction at Blackburn Town Hall.
And today (Friday), they were officially welcomed to their new posts by the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive.
They were amongst more than 200 candidates who applied for roles right across the authority – in departments ranging from Highways to HR, Finance, Children’s Services, Environment and Growth.
Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Councillor Mohammed Khan, said:
As a Council, we are passionate about supporting our young people in the borough and offering opportunities for our residents to build and develop their careers.
We had an overwhelming response to our recruitment campaign for the 2019 apprenticeship programme and a really good standard of applicants.
As an employer, we offer fantastic training opportunities for our apprentices and it’s a way for them to get on-the-job experience and earn while they learn.
I would like to wish them all the very best of luck in their new roles – I’m know that they will thrive here.
The new apprenticeships vary from Project Management to Corporate Policy, bricklayers, Public Health and Digital.
More than 120 applicants were invited to an assessment day where they were interviewed and 31 were then successfully appointed to the available positions.
Speaking after the welcome event, Chief Executive, Denise Park, added:
It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to recruit a record number of apprentices to the Council this year.
The new recruits bring with them new skills, fresh ideas and a real enthusiasm to learn.
Apprentices play an incredibly valuable role right across the Council and I’d like to warmly welcome them all.
This is just the very start of the career for them and it’s a fantastic foundation for their futures.
The new recruits will all receive the equivalent of one days training a week as part of the programme.
For a full list of vacancies at the Council, visit: www.blackburn.gov.uk/jobs