Boris kick-starts Apprenticeship Week

Boris Johnson has kick-started Apprenticeship Week today with the announcement that the Greater London Authority will be providing over 3000 apprenticeships over the next three years.

The Mayor’s economic recovery plan, published last December, set out a range of measures to aid the capital in the downturn.

This included the GLA group providing at least 1000 apprenticeships annually until 2012, in addition to work placement opportunities.

Training opportunities will range from customer services to electrical engineering.

Transport for London and its contractors will recruit around 650 adult and 115 young apprentices over the next year.

The group is also working closely with existing and potential suppliers to encourage them to create apprenticeship schemes. New contract terms with major suppliers is also being taken forward to promote skills and training programmes.

It is hoped that this will create a ripple effect and create thousands of additional training opportunities across the capital over the coming years.

Johnson said “I am confident London will emerge from this downturn strong and ready to challenge what will undoubtedly be stiff competition. But we must be ready and we must keep up our training schemes so we have a skilled workforce for the future.

“At the GLA, we are pushing forward by expanding current programmes and creating new ones and I urge employers from across London’s sectors to follow our lead and seek the wealth of advice and support that is out there.”