Mr Cameron, who met CRC apprentices on a recent visit to Cambridge, said the 125 Campaign, celebrating the paper’s 125th anniversary, was helping to give young people the skills they needed to get on in life.
“There are 2,000 more people starting apprenticeships in Cambridgeshire than before the election -
and I was lucky enough to meet some of them when I visited the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Medical Research Council last year,” he said.
“Apprenticeships give young people the skills they need to get on – helping them get jobs and find their way in life. As part of our long term economic plan the Government has helped an extra 1.5 million people start apprenticeships since the election and I’m very pleased to see Cambridge News and Cambridge Regional College doing their best to help us fill those places.”
The 125 Apprentices - 125 Years campaign, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the News, was launched with the help of HRH the Duke of York and is already encouraging more employers to take on apprentices.
CRC Deputy Principal Alan Jones said the Prime Minister’s support was a big boost to the campaign.
“We’re absolutely delighted that the Prime Minister has backed our campaign. He is a firm supporter of apprenticeships and we hope he will be able to visit the college this year and meet some of the young people who are benefiting from our successful programmes,” he said.
“The 125 Apprentices campaign is encouraging more and more employers to look at the business
benefits of employing an apprentice and offer great opportunities to young people.
“The support of the Prime Minister is very welcome and we are proud to be playing such a crucial role in the economy of the region, training apprentices to become the workforce of the future.”
The aim of the campaign is to find 125 apprentices - one for every year the News has been publishing. Thanks to support from the county’s employers, it has had a bumper start, with organisations including the Medical Research Council and the East Anglian Air Ambulance backing apprenticeships.
For more information on hiring an apprentice, contact CRC’s business development manager Phil Stittle at [email protected] or on 01223 226361.
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