Youngsters win apprenticeships

Three young people from the West Midlands have been offered apprenticeships with the region’s transport authority, Centro and National Express West Midlands after completing a Prince’s Trust scheme. Nav Bansal, Tamika Smith and Manisha Rani won the places through the new ‘Get Into Transport’ scheme. Run by Centro on behalf of the Prince’s Trust, the initiative saw 14 candidates spend four weeks on work experience rotating between Virgin Trains, London Midland, National Express West Midlands and Centro. Nav and Tamika will begin work with Centro’s customer relations team with Manisha Rani in a similar role with National Express West Midlands.

MD of National Express West Midlands, Peter Coates, said, ‘As Birmingham’s biggest private sector employer, we are always keen to do what we can to provide jobs and skills for local young people. We know better than most just how important work experience can be for young people in making the first step into employment. Everyone who took part in this year’s scheme deserves congratulations and I am sure the skills they have developed will make it easier for them to go on and find work.’

(LtoR) Tamika Smith; Centro Chief Executive, Geoff Inskip and Nav Bansal.