THE take-up of apprenticeships in Worcestershire is rising faster than the national average.

Since 2011 there has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of placements in the county, according to the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership who drive investment in the local economy.

Worcestershire is bucking regional and national statistics – which have returned respective 12 and 10.4 per cent rises in the same period – with more than 6,000 places available in 2013, compared to 4,800 in 2011.

Carl Arntzen, chairman of the partnership’s employment and skills board and managing director of Bosch Thermotechnology Ltd, said: “Apprenticeships are a vital element of the training of our young people.

“Too much emphasis has been placed in recent years on purely academic education by encouraging as many students as possible to take A-levels and go on to university.

“I am delighted to see such a strong focus here in Worcestershire on re-establishing apprenticeships as a core part of Worcestershire's strategy for developing the necessary skills in the workforce."

The county has a target of creating 10,000 apprenticeships places by the end of 2016, increasing the spread and range of apprenticeship available, with specific focus upon the county’s main employment sectors.

The partnership’s Worcestershire Employment and Skills Board is leading employment and Skills Agenda is coordinating activities through Worcestershire Business Central to increase the intake of apprenticeships.

Some of the board’s aims include actively promoting apprenticeships as a valuable education and employment option, increasing the number of advanced and higher level apprenticeships to 250 by 2016 and increasing the number of county employers employing apprentices by three per cent by 2016.

Apprenticeships have been promoted through the Real Apprenticeship events attended by more than 500 young people, Employer Engagement events raising awareness of apprenticeships among employers and apprenticeship workshops in schools attended by more than 1,500 students in 10 schools.