WITH 740,000 young people aged 16 to 24 being unemployed, you might think apprenticeships were the perfect answer. But a York builder tells us that for small businesses like his, trainees aren't being equipped with sufficient skills.

This is concerning. Apprenticeships have undergone a revival in the UK since being reintroduced in 1994.

But John Butler, who owns J M Butler Builders in Nether Poppleton, says the three-year block-release system isn't long enough and doesn't produce workers who can turn their hand to the required variety of skills.

Mr Butler is calling for a return to five-year, on-the-job apprenticeships and we think his voice should be heard. In recent history, degrees or A-levels were the goal for most, but not everyone is academically minded. So why not consider starting apprenticeships earlier to accommodate longer training?

After all, a trade will stand many young people well – even if we are approaching the age of robot dominance. But the training has to be top notch.

Now it seems the government intends to ask employers how best to improve apprenticeship standards.

We think a visit to Nether Poppleton could yield many ideas.