Business Monthly: Apprentice boom at training centre

It took on its first 140 apprentices in autumn 2013 and today has 400, all have jobs with local firms.

The centre, on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, is part of Sheffield University.

Programme manager, Dan Swift, said: “More and more young people are choosing to earn and learn, seeing the value in getting hands on experience alongside their qualifications, free from student-debt.

“We are also seeing a push from the regions local schools and colleges, who are starting to recommend apprenticeship training as a first choice to their high achieving students.

“This increases demand and awareness across the sector and we have witnessed our numbers growing at an astonishing rate.”

In preparation for September, the centre is holding extra assessment dates to manage the number of applicants.

They are put through a job style interview and series of tasks to determine suitability.

Successful applicants go onto employer-matching events to find a role which suits them.

Local employers are already advertising vacancies at the centre.