George Osborne's delight as 150 apprentices join Ladder for the Black Country

George Osborne described the Black Country's youngsters as its 'most important resource' and said nothing gave him greater 'excitement' than seeing a young person take their first step on the jobs ladder.

The Ladder for the Black Country has now seen more than 160 apprenticeships created since it was launched in September with 50 young people starting their first jobs and 51 firms signing up.

Mr Osborne said: "I think it is brilliant - the Ladder campaign is absolutely fantastic for the Black Country. It is all about investing in the most important resource we have got in the Black Country - its people, particularly its young people. It is such a refreshing part of my job when I meet young people for whom this is their first job and for the first time they have economic security and a bright future so I really congratulate the Express & Star and all those involved in the Ladder for the Black Country."

Mr Osborne was in the Midlands yesterday where alongside the Prime Minister he announced a £5.2 billion investment in roads and rail.

He said the plans could create 300,000 new jobs by 2020 and include electrification of the rail lines between Birmingham, Bristol and Derby, and widening sections of the M5 and M1.

Mr Osborne also visited Halfords in Shirley, Solihull, where the company announced it was recruiting 500 apprentices across the country - including 50 in the Midlands and 19 in the Black Country in partnership with the Ladder for the Black Country.

He told the Express & Star: "One of the problems in the past in this country was that when you left school you had a choice between university and work. What was missing was a chance to get training on the job so you were learning while you were earning. One of the things apprentices are so proud of are the skills they are learning. It causes me the greatest excitement because you see the transformative effect it has on young people's lives."

The Ladder for the Black Country is a drive to get companies of all sizes to take on apprentices and get young people to grab the opportunity for training in the workplace.

The Black Country has the highest rate of youth unemployment in the country.

Backed by the Duke of York, it is a partnership between the Express & Star, training provider PTP, the Vine Trust charity in Walsall, and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.

The fiftieth employer to sign up was Wolverhampton-based Paycare, a healthcare insurance agency, and the fiftieth apprentice to start work is Andrew Bullock at Indigo Products, an Aldridge based manufacturer.

PTP managing director Rob Colbourne said: "This week, some four months on from launching the Ladder for the Black Country, we have now reached some key milestones. Passing the fiftieth employer supporting the initiative, with well over 150 pledges to fill vacancies through the apprenticeship route, and our fiftieth apprenticeship being offered a job with Indigo Products.

"The Ladder initiative has not only given belief to school leavers and unemployed clients that jobs are available in the region, but has also confirmed to employers that local people do want a job with training attached, to help them progress within the business. I am very hopeful these successes will continue over the forthcoming months."

Halfords are the fifty-first firm to sign up to the Ladder for the Black Country. Chief executive Matt Davies said: "We wanted to go above and beyond the usual apprenticeship model, and by offering pre-employment training to our candidates, we're raising the bar for training in the retail industry."

Diane Davies, deputy editor of the Express & Star, said: "We are delighted to have reached such great numbers of apprentices in such a short space of time. We will continue to do all we can to help tackle the unemployment issue in the West Midlands and call on more employers to come forward and see the benefit of apprenticeships.

"The Ladder for the Black Country's patron Prince Andrew sees apprenticeships as a local solution to a national problem and every single one created is an opportunity for a young person that would not have been there otherwise."

To either offer an apprenticeship, or to investigate work available for young people visit www.ladderfortheblackcountry.co.uk or call 03332 409699.