NEW figures show that there was a rise in apprenticeships in the region last year.

There were 5,670 apprenticeship starts in Worcestershire during the academic year 2011/12 – representing a growth of 14.7 per cent from the previous year.

The West Midlands, as a region, registered 60,470 apprenticeship starts.

David Way, chief executive of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “I am pleased that new data confirms that apprenticeships overall are increasingly popular.”

Government funding is available to help local companies take on an apprentice.

Through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24-year-olds, businesses who choose to grow their business through apprenticeships can access funding of £1,500.

The grant is open to organisations employing up to 1,000 people, who have never employed an apprentice before, or have not recruited one in the past 12 months.

Mr Way added: “Apprenticeships come with a guarantee of quality, giving young people a job with training, and are proven to deliver a significant return on investment, so this really is a win-win initiative for employers.

“There has never been a better time to recruit an apprentice, so I hope more organisations will look at how they can benefit from this grant over the coming 12 months.”