National Express kick off week-long The Skills Show coach tour at Old Trafford
National Express today (October 28) kicked off a week-long coach tour encouraging young people to show off their undiscovered talents and highlighting the career options available to them at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium.
In partnership with The Skills Show, the nation's largest free skills and careers event, which takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 14-16 November, the UK's largest coach operator has taken to the road to find talented youngsters the length and breadth of the country.
A specially-liveried The Skills Show coach is calling at landmarks across the country from Newcastle to Southampton with Old Trafford being the first stop in the back of the net.
The idea is to get young people thinking and talking about the sorts of skills that may be useful to them in their future careers, as well as encouraging people to share their talents with a campaign asking 'What's Your Secret Skill?' The roadshow got off to a flying start with hoards of talented people uncovered, including twenty year-old coach traveller Marcia LaSalle who demonstrated her talents as an opera singer.
Ross Maloney, Chief Executive of The Skills Show says the intention is to demonstrate a clear link between skills and employment.
He said: "Young people have so many skills that they do not appreciate, yet these are the very skills that will help them on the road to work. The Secret Skills campaign will help us to demonstrate that skills matter, and that young people can turn their existing abilities into a vocation, or as the starting point for a new career."
National Express Managing Director UK Coach Tom Stables said: "You can't miss our colourful Skills Show coach and it is coming to a town near you. We really hope young people take the chance to show off all their weird and wonderful talents, and importantly, to be inspired to consider the different types of opportunities available to them."
At each roadshow location visitors will also have the chance to share their Secret Skills with volunteer apprentice filmmakers. The footage they capture will be used online, through social media platforms and in the opening ceremony of The Skills Show in Birmingham on 13 November, for which free tickets are now available at www.theskillsshow.com.
Outside the roadshow, the fully branded coach will operate as normal on National Express' busy London to Luton Airport service, and will be located in the exhibition halls at the NEC during The Skills Show itself.
To help young people to make the journey to the NEC in Birmingham, National Express has also announced an exclusive travel discount for those visiting the show.
A 25% discount is available to those travelling to Birmingham International or Birmingham Airport from 14-16 November. To take advantage of the offer and for more details please visit www.theskillsshow.com/travel-national-express.
For more information about the Birmingham event, to be inspired by the nation's secret skills and to inspire others with your own, please visit www.theskillsshow.com.