Minister meets top apprentice

PLEASED to meet you . . . David Schofield with John Denham in Manchester

A SHAW apprentice has had a face to face meeting with the Minister in charge of apprenticeships.

David Schofield, First Bus apprentice of the year, met with John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, in Manchester.

David (19) said: “It was great to meet the minister and to see how interested he was in apprenticeships and my views.

“It is good to know that this route of study and progression is so highly regarded by the Government.”

David, currently employed by First Bus at their regional office in Oldham, is an apprentice heavy vehicle mechanic, and scooped the title of First UK Bus Apprentice of the Year Award in April.

Mr Denham is in charge of making sure the Government meets its ambition for one in five young people to be an apprentice in the next decade.

He announced that by July, this year, 35,000 more people had started an apprenticeship than the previous year.

Mr Denham said: “What a fantastic young man. I can see why David won the award. Labour has rebuilt apprenticeships over the last 10 years, so that more and more young people can take one up. Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to get a good, well-paid job and a great start in life.”