Frankley Skills Show 2019 with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street
During Cllr Morrall election campaign in 2018, Simon made a promise to help bring opportunities to South Birmingham after it had largely been forgotten following the collapse of the MG Rover car factory in 2005, formally known as British Leyland. Commenting on his election pledge he said ” I made a bold promise to work with businesses, schools and community organisations to provide the right tools, services and support to help everyone in our community receive vital life skills, and this is what I’m doing.”[11]
In January 2019 he organised and opened the first ever Frankley Skills Show with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, at Ballaam school[18] Advertising in the local paper. Cllr Morrall said: Whether it’s art, music, hair and beauty, the armed forces, police, public sector, business and entrepreneurship, life skills, money advice, apprenticeships, digital skills, fostering, and much more.
Cllr Morrall said: “Just seeing young people travel to an event like this on a cold snowy Sunday re-ignited what I’ve been saying for years. That there are people living on estates with ambition and talents that we simply aren’t tapping into and the big challenge is reaching more people like this to let them know that they really can succeed in life, regardless of their circumstances or background!” [19][11]
Frankley Skills Show 2021 with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street
In August 2021, Post Covid-19 pandemic, Simon hosted a second skills show, inviting employers and skills providers from across the region to an event on Sunday (26th September) at the recently saved Hollymoor Community Centre, a formal mental health hospital.
The show was another huge success with residents traveling from as far as Selly Oak, Yardley and even Wombourne.
Speaking in the local paper Cllr Morral said “ I was blown away with the response and and it just proves what I’ve been saying at City Council for years, there are people in this city with ambition and talent that we simply aren’t tapping into and we urgently need to re think our marketing strategy when it comes to promoting the wide range of opportunities we have in our great second city.”
West Midlands Maor Andy Street praised the event : “It’s brilliant to see Cllr Simon Morrall once again put this on event for his community and what we have seen today is so many opportunities for residents locally. “What I think was the best was the jobs wall, because it’s this whole point as we come out of the pandemic, that the jobs are there but its just about matching those people who are looking for work up with those opportunities. I’d say to residents, I know it’s been tough and we’ve seen some really difficult times at the moment, but the opportunities are out there. [20]
