On Monday 1 February at the start of the National Apprenticeship Service’s Apprenticeship Week the Daily Echo had the story of Hedge End teenager Zoe Tee who having completed a BTEC diploma in art and design at Fareham College has decided against going to University in favour of starting an apprenticeship. One of 240,000 nationally to begin an apprenticeship last year, Zoe is very enthusiastic about her marketing work at Shirrell Heath-based Active Wealth and says that doing an apprenticeship has been absolutely the right decision for her.

On Wednesday 3 February the Daily Echo was promoting its annual Jobsfair at Southampton Guildhall on the following day, Thursday 4 February, and which was sponsored by Best Buy. The electronics retailer which is to open its Hedge End store in the spring is also recruiting for a number of positions, looking for ‘good communicators who are keen to learn and are passionate about technology.’

On Friday the Hedge End charity run by Jane Walker, the Philippines Community Fund (PCF), was in the news with the Daily Echo report on how members of staff and students from Sholing Technology College together with students from Itchen College were travelling to Manila. There they will build a playground for the school created from redundant shipping containers, which students from Itchen College helped build in 2008. The Daily Echo had a further story on Saturday. See also the Hedgeendpeople story about the charity and its work in the Philippines, ‘Hedge End and the Philippine Community Fund Connection’.