Minister praises apprentice drive

David Whaley (Editor), Graham McKendrick (National Apprenticeship Service), Becci Warburton (The Oldham Alliance).

A GOVERNMENT minister has heaped praise on the Chronicle for backing the 100 in 100 Apprenticeships campaign, which smashed its final target.

The successful drive caught the eye of John Hayes, minister for further education, skills and lifelong learning, who congratulated the Chronicle, The Oldham Apprenticeship Alliance and the National Apprenticeship Service on their “remarkable achievement”.

In a letter to Chronicle editor David Whaley he wrote: “Having long championed apprenticeships in Parliament, I want to pay tribute to the businesses and organisations that have helped restore them to their rightful place in our national life — a respected, well-funded and indispensable route for people of all backgrounds to achieve their ambitions.”

Mr Hayes also paid tribute to the businesses and organisations that were helping to establish apprenticeships as an “indispensable route” for people to achieve their ambitions.

Kick-start
Launched in February to coincide with National Apprenticeship week, the campaign urged Oldham businesses to create a total of 100 apprenticeships in 100 days to help kick-start the borough’s economic recovery and give people the chance to gain valuable skills.

The campaign was backed by the Chronicle, with weekly stories and pictures about the new recruits — including our own Eliott Royales, now a one year advertising sales apprentice with the newspaper.

The campaign was led by the Oldham Apprenticeship Alliance which consists of The Oldham Colege, OTC Training, Mantra Learning, Rathbone, and YMCA Training, and was supported by Oldham Council, the National Apprenticeship Service and the Chronicle.

Final figures revealed a staggering 171 apprentices of all ages secured places in a wide range of sectors.

Graham McKendrick, employer services manager for the National Apprenticeship Service in the North-West, presented the Minister’s letter at the Chronicle’s recent business networking event.

Mr McKendrick said: “We are delighted that so many employers have chosen to support the campaign.

“The endorsement from Skills Minister John Hayes and the level of support from employers of all sizes and 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.”