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Manufacturing Apprentices

Apprenticeships have been given an overwhelming endorsement by the manufacturing industry, with seven in ten manufacturers believing that despite the economic crisis, apprentices are more important than ever.

The research, carried out to mark Apprenticeship Week (23 to 27 February 2009), revealed that 15% of employers are hiring more apprentices to help them through the global downturn. Meanwhile, two thirds (65%) indicated that the relied on their apprenticeship programme to give them the skilled workers they needed for the future, and more than four in ten (£45) has even increased the number of apprentices it employs this year.

Lord Young, skills minister, comments: “These are very welcome findings. There’s always been a strong ‘business case’ for hiring apprentices as their tailored training help them to add genuine value to the organisation’s productivity. And for that very reason we have been keen to promote in these tougher times. That’s the purpose of Apprenticeship Week – to promote to employers the full business benefits of taking on apprentices.”

For more information: www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Apr 2009

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