Apprenticeships gain popularity in South West

Apprenticeships are gaining popularity with South West employers, with 45 per cent of businesses in the region planning to take on an apprentice in the next five years.

According to a study of 600 businesses, 25 per cent said they were looking to take on one or more apprentices in the next twelve months.

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, said: “Given the grants available to help small businesses take on apprentices, it’s especially good that so many SMEs are embracing apprenticeships in the coming years and that apprentice recruitment now forms a key part of a businesses’ plans for sustainable growth.”

A total of 44 per cent of employers based in the South West region believed that apprentices stay in the business longer than other recruits.

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