APPRENTICES at South Worcestershire College have been named by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg as the best in central England.

The announcement of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2014 finalists was made on Wednesday, April 10, at a ceremony at the House of Commons following three months of tough competition.

More than 100 teams from the country’s leading apprenticeship employers, training providers and colleges, battled to become one of four regional winners with South Worcestershire College, which has campuses in Evesham and Malvern, named the winning team from the central region.

The challenge has seen the team deliver a community project renovating a young people’s centre and spreading the word about apprenticeships to schools, where they shared their experiences and explained how an apprenticeship allows young people to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "The finalists of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge have shown they have the energy, enthusiasm and commitment to be the best they can be, but also to give back to build a better future for Britain.

"It is important that we foster and harness that kind of dedication to secure their future and Britain’s long term success: building a stronger economy and fairer society for this generation and the next."

The finalists will now continue their activities until early June when the challenge culminates in a series of team building, logistical and physical challenges at Brathay Trust’s Windermere headquarters from June 9 to 11.