THE Worcester News 100 in 100 apprentices campaign has received official recognition in Parliament with Worcester’s MP Robin Walker offering to take on a trainee.

Mr Walker told a debate on the apprentice system: “I congratulate the Worcester News on its 100 apprentices in 100 days campaign and volunteer to sign up one of the apprentices, because all honourable members should play a role in supporting such positive campaigns.”

He was speaking in a debate instigated by Richard Graham, Conservative MP for Gloucester and Mr Walker asked: “Does my honourable friend believe that the media has an important role in promoting the breadth of apprentices and does he think that we should urge other honourable members to use the media in promoting the jobs that are available for apprenticeships?”

Mr Graham replied: “My honourable friend and near neighbour is absolutely right to congratulate the media in Worcester for taking forward the scheme.

“I congratulate him on making his commitment to take on an apprentice himself. When I outline the target that I have set for members of Parliament, the minister should note that we may be able to achieve it in fewer than 100 days.

“I strongly recommend my colleagues in the House to organise an annual apprenticeship fair; the national apprenticeship week is in February, which would be quite a good time to do so if they want to tie it in with national themes.”

Meanwhile, the Co-operative Group has launched the UK’s most diverse and ambitious apprenticeship academy, which aims to help young job seekers across Worcestershire and Herefordshire over the next three years.

The £9 million academy – with a target of helping 2,000 youngsters into employment – will offer young people transferrable skills, competitive salaries and qualifications, not just a job.

It is the Co-operative’s vision that eventually all new recruits under 25 will be part of the academy.

Opportunities will be available across the whole range of the Co-operative’s portfolio and released nationally in a phased series.

Throughout the summer Worcestershire and Herefordshire will come online for apprenticeships in the food and pharmacy areas, with the funeral sector being added in the autumn.

Launching the apprenticeship academy, Co-op Group chief executive Peter Marks said: “With youth unemployment hitting the highest rate in nearly 20 years and almost one million 16 to 25-year-olds out of work, it’s a really tough time to be a young person in Britain.

“We believe businesses have a real responsibility to help motivate and inspire young people by giving them new opportunities to gain the skills, knowledge and experiences to be pioneers for their generation.

“Through our new apprenticeship academy, we are offering young people across the UK proper jobs with qualifications and real career opportunities.

“With a quarter of our employees under the age of 25, eventually we want to make them all apprentices and I would encourage other big businesses to follow suit.”

• For anyone interested in apprenticeship opportunities visit the NAS website here.

• For all the latest updates on the 100 in 100 campaign click here.