Virgin Media O2 is leading the initiative to establish greater career opportunities in the UK workspace

Virgin Media O2 has stepped forward to focus on creating large numbers of apprenticeship opportunities within their company. This is with an eye to developing more sustainable and financially rewarding career pathways for those looking to establish a professional working career in the UK.

This direction Virgin Media O2 has chosen to go down is a result of recent findings showing that 49% of people working in the UK believe that studying for new qualifications in 2023 is beneficial for their career prospects. It alludes to much of the working landscape not being a sustainable route for many to survive from.

Part of this thinking from the UK workspace is that the higher level of career prospects and enrolling into an apprenticeship will offer far greater salary prospects. This comes at a period where financial struggles are prominent for many in the UK and play a large factor in people's decision making regarding valuable matters, including employment possibilities.

The worrying state of the current UK economy is of no secret as the UK was in real danger of falling into a recession last year but fortunately for all managed to avoid doing so by very thin margins.

Virgin Media O2's Head of Future Careers' Karen Handley has expressed how the unconvincing financial state of the UK is worrying for many. She admits that "we [Virgin Media O2] know that these are tough times for millions of people across the UK worried about their finances".

Handley expanded on the relevance of that by alluding to more people therefore wanting to have greater rewarding career pathways, "Many (are) looking at how they can learn more to earn more and have greater job security, particularly given the economic outlook published by the ONS today."

Handley further added how businesses should take it upon themselves to focus on developing new talent in the workforce through apprenticeships. This is as that can lead to further attributes being utilised in the workplace. "In this current climate, it's important businesses still invest in careers; and apprenticeships offer a great way to fill the skills gap," she said.

She then further stressed how companies offering these apprenticeships is "needed to help us on the path back to economic growth".

In addition, Handley touched on the positive impact the 350 apprenticeship programmes that will be created in 2023 by Virgin Media O2 will have, stating, "we're proud to be creating hundreds of new apprenticeships at Virgin Media O2 this year with great salaries, offering fantastic opportunities for people to learn new skills."

Lastly Handley mentioned that those fortunate enough to be chosen for Virgin Media O2's apprenticeship programmes will take on duties consisting of building Virgin Media O2's gigabit broadband network to project management, with a "guaranteed job at the end".

This assurance of full-time employment when the apprenticeships are over, displays Virgin Media O2's firm commitment to developing those partaking in their apprenticeship's in the long-term.

It will remain to be seen how this investment into nurturing new talent in the workforce affects the surrounding economic climate of the UK. Also, attention will be on other businesses to witness whether they follow Virgin Media O2's lead and help forge a prominent culture consisting of opportunity and development within the wider business climate in the UK.