Yorkshire Learners Show Their Winning Colours

Left to right: Margaret Coleman, regional
director for LSC Yorkshire and Humber
presents Sony BMG placement winner
Rob Walsh with his award.

A lucky young person from Yorkshire and the Humber has won the "experience of a lifetime" with a week long work placement at a highly desirable workplace as part of an LSC initiative.

The LSC secured placements with employers - including Everton Football Club, Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club, Trevor Sorbie, Sportsbeat, Sugar Magazine, The Royal Shakespeare Company, MP Khalid Mahmood, Sony BMG Records, Red Bull Racing and Rick Stein - to offer young people aged between 16 and 18 the opportunity to experience real working life.

A competition was launched across the country for students to win a week long work placement at the sponsors' offices in an attempt to raise awareness of the possibilities young people have available to them - but only if they achieve at least five good GCSEs or the vocational equivalent, such as Level 2 diplomas in subjects like Childcare, Computing or Landscape Gardening.

The lucky winner from the Yorkshire and Humber region was Rob Walsh who won a placement at Sony BMG.

To view a video of Rob Walsh talking about his work placement click on the podcast icon below.

Fiona Blacke, director of learning, planning and performance for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, comments: "Work experience can be a great addition to a CV and a competition like this can show 16-18 year olds the options open to them. Whatever you do, the goal must be to ensure that if you haven't got the minimum set of qualifications, you achieve them before you are 19, to make sure your options in life aren't limited. Whatever happens, don't find yourself under-qualified for your dream job."

Left to right: Michael Richards and Jo Mercer,
European Championship finalists 2007

In another competition win for the region, Jo Mercer, 22, and Michael Richards, 19, both from Bradford, travelled to Frankfurt in May to compete in the prestigious European Hairdressing Championships 2007. The work-based learners are currently carrying out apprenticeships with Taylors Training and Taylors & Co hairdressers in Brighouse where they have both worked since leaving school at the age of 16.

Contestants from over 40 countries around the world competed in the exciting final stages of the competition. Remarkably, Jo came 1st and Michael came 2nd in the prestigious Under 25's Creative Artistic style category.