A 50% increase in the number of apprentices at Buckinghamshire County Council has been promised by Leader Martin Tett.
He made the announcement at a lunch hosted by County Council Chairman Mike Colston to celebrate National Apprentice Week, yesterday Wednesday (February 8), when he called on Buckinghamshire’s business bosses to sign up to an apprenticeship scheme.
As one of Buckinghamshire’s major employers, the County Council has 20 apprentices, and during the past three years has invested in more than 30 young people through the scheme. In the coming months the council will recruit another 10 apprentices.
Mr Tett said: “If 10% of Buckinghamshire businesses employed one apprectice, we could make a huge difference in the life chances of hundreds, if not thousands, of young people. Since the start of the recession unemployment levels among young people have risen by 70%.
“It’s often a vicious circle - you can’t get a job because you don’t have experience, and you can’t get experience because you don’t have a job,” said Martin. “I’m convinced one of the answers is to make more use of apprenticeship schemes.”
Mr Tett, a champion of employment for young people, said apprenticeship schemes were about investment in young people and investment in the local economy. “My message to Buckinghamshire businesses is simple. Investing in our young people is key to achieving greater business success, particularly in tough times.”
Chairman Mike Colston, who paid tribute to the commitment and energy of the County Council’s 20 apprentices, said: “We’ve got some great apprentices who make a real contribution to the work of our organisation, and I’m delighted to be able to honour this.”