Alex Ferguson to speak on the goal of increasing UK apprenticeships
at Unite conference
2 November 2011
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be highlighting
the importance of apprenticeships, training and funding at a
Unite/Cogent conference in Manchester on Friday 4 November.
The United boss will be one of the speakers at the conference to
be held at the Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester
M1 6DD between 10.00am and 1.20pm.
Sir Alex, who will be speaking on the theme Investing in young
people, said: ”It is only when you had the opportunity to have an
apprenticeship did you realise the long term benefit. Anyone
who had that experience will have appreciated the skills they
learned.
”Over a long period in our industry, apprenticeships have been
neglected and that has to change. Great Britain was admired
throughout the world for its ability to produce quality through the
craftsmanship of its workforce and now is the time to bring about a
regeneration of those times.
”Apprenticeships offer that opportunity for business to build from
within their own confines and create an atmosphere of loyalty and
continuity.”
Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing, Tony Burke,
who will also be speaking at the event, said: ”It is very apt that
Sir Alex , whose commitment to developing young talented people
into international footballing stars is universally admired, should
be speaking on the importance of bringing young people forward
through skilled apprenticeships and top quality training.
”Unite believes that even in this grim economic climate
manufacturing and science- based companies need to invest in the
future through ensuring they take on apprentices, and upskill and
train their workforce.
”Apprenticeships today will translate into the skilled workforce
of tomorrow. That should be our goal for the future viability of
British manufacturing and our science based industries.”
Cogent is the sector skills council that covers chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, oil, gas and nuclear energy.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further please contact Unite’s Geoff Southern on 0795 862
4498 and/or Unite communications officer Shaun Noble 07768
693940
