BUSINESSES throughout York and North Yorkshire are being urged to take advantage of the radical reforms to apprenticeships announced by the Government today, to tackle their skills shortages for the future.

The plea comes from David Harbourne, executive director of the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire, who sees the new plans as a real opportunity for businesses of all shapes and sizes to grow the skilled workforce they need to ensure their future success.

He said: "Apprenticeships are a vital part of developing the workforce of the future. They provide young people and adults with 'on the job' training at the same time as earning a wage, and offer an excellent route into a successful career.

"They make absolute sense for businesses too. Many businesses within York and North Yorkshire have cited skills shortages as one of the hurdles they must overcome, and these new apprenticeships offer an important opportunity for us to work in partnership to ensure that skills shortages will soon become a thing of the past."

Of particular interest, he said, are the brand new Young Apprenticeships for 14 to 16-year-olds, which allow motivated pupils to spend two days a week in the workplace learning a trade.

Updated: 11:39 Wednesday, May 12, 2004