North East Herts MP Oliver Heald has welcomed new figures which show a substantial rise in the number of apprenticeships since the Election.
Figures released last week show a 124% increase in North East Hertfordshire putting the total number at 640 in 2011.
This is welcome news at the start of National Apprenticeship Week which will see nationwide events to raise the profile of apprentices.
The Coalition has recently announced a new scheme of incentives for small employers to take on their first young apprentice. To encourage thousands of small firms that don’t currently hire apprentices to take on a young apprentice aged 16 to 24, the Government will offer employers with up to 50 employees an incentive payment of up to £1,500. This will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships in 2012/13. Details of how to apply will be announced by the Business department in the next few weeks.
Commenting, Oliver Heald said, “North East Hertfordshire has more manufacturing than most constituencies. I am delighted that more and more people and employers in North East Hertfordshire have benefited from an apprenticeship thanks to the extra investment by the Government.
“Within weeks the Coalition committed to create 50,000 new apprenticeships and has already exceeded that number and the new scheme should mean many more.
“Employers benefit from Government support for the costs of training their apprentices and they offer a fantastic opportunity for people to get on-the-job training that can lead to a fulfilling career.”
Find out more about National Apprenticeship Week by logging on to
http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Awards/Apprenticeship-Week-2012.aspx