I have been cheered by some new statistics which show a huge surge in the number of apprenticeships in England. The rise follows extra investment delivered by the Coalition Government.
The figures show the number of Apprenticeships in the North East has rocketed from 18,000 in the previous year to 34,000 for 2010/11. Hexham Constituency alone has seen an almost 50% rise.
The figures also show 163,000 more people starting an apprenticeship in the last academic year compared to the year before, with Advanced Apprenticeships showing the biggest growth, with a 69 per cent increase.
The Coalition has delivered by 2011 double the number of apprenticeship starts that Gordon Brown promised by 2013. This is fantastic news for our young people across the North East. This increase in apprenticeships delivered by this government is unprecedented.
After one year we're clearly on track to deliver the extra 250,000 apprenticeships we promised. Apprenticeships are a vital tool for tackling youth unemployment and improving the skills of our workforce.
