Eleven apprenticeships after Ladder for Staffordshire success
Eleven young people have already taken their first steps on the jobs ladder thanks to an Express & Star-led campaign.
The Ladder for Staffordshire has already created 56 apprenticeships since it was launched last month.
A number of firms are in talks with our training partners Performance Through People (PTP) about taking on apprentices.
One of the firms to take on an apprentice is Gibson Centri-Tech Limited, based in Lichfield.
The family-run engineering firm is only one of a handful of manufacturers of centrifugal casting technology. The company has 11 employees and has taken on 19-year-old Coralie Kemp. Director Stuart Gibson said the firm had unsuccessfully tried to hire a skilled machinist for 18 months and then went down the apprenticeship route.
He said: "We took on an apprentice because we were finding it difficult to get skilled engineers. Our apprentice Coralie is doing really well. She will be trained in various roles across the business."
PTP director Gill Durkin said: "There is a skills gap for a lot of employers and apprenticeships can be ideal for businesses and for young people looking for a career."
Mr Gibson said all small businesses should think about taking on an apprentice, adding: "I think there are only benefits to apprenticeships."