MORE than 1,300 apprenticeships have been created in the North East so far in a campaign championed by The Journal.

It has been just over 10 weeks since we launched 100 Days: The Apprenticeship Challenge which aims to get more businesses and organisations to sign up apprentices.

And the campaign organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) in association with the North East Chamber of Commerce has so far seen 1,250 apprenticeships created. The campaign aims to help companies in the region to take on more staff and increase their skills base as well as to help to get the jobless back into work.

Alan Wallace, head of employer accounts for the NAS, said he was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to the campaign from such a variety of companies and organisations across the region.

“To have achieved 1,324 apprenticeships with four weeks still to go is a fantastic achievement. We have been overwhelmed by the level of support for the campaign by North East businesses and would like to sincerely thank every employer who has committed to recruit an apprentice.

“As well as benefiting young people by offering them life changing career opportunities, apprenticeships also bring many proven benefits to businesses including, increased productivity, improved competitiveness and a committed highly skilled workforce.

“They are an extremely cost effective way of developing staff and offer a significant return on investment, and the level of employer support for the campaign from employers of all sizes and from all sectors is testament to this.

“We want the momentum and enthusiasm for the campaign to continue and would like to encourage more employers to get involved.”

Last year, The Journal and its sister paper, the Evening Gazette, worked with NAS to get 100 firms to take on 100 apprentices in 100 days.

Within a few weeks it was so successful we had to increase the target to 500. When the 100 days were up, we were able to report 1,355 apprenticeships had been created.

To find out more about the 100 Days Apprenticeship Challenge, call 08000 150 600, or visit the website www.apprenticeships.org.uk