Hi Bandit,
There is a flying club at EMA called Donnair flying club (opposite BMI Hangar), also there are another couple of little hangars around the same part of the airport maintaining small aircraft.
Try popping down there and talking to some people, arrange some work experience maybe.
With the closure of BMI there are not too many jobs around them parts at the moment with the bigger airlines. However, Flybe will be opening a line station there in the near future so maybe they may take on apprentice/s if the station is big enough.
Most people in aviation have to travel to get into the industry.
BTW G.A is great way getting into the industry and you learn alot regarding aircraft, get onto the jets as soon as your ready tho for the $$