YORK Conservatives have thrown their weight behind The Press’s campaign to find apprenticeship places in York.

Thom Wiseman, who was a Tory candidate for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward in last month’s council elections, said the York Conservatives would also be pushing businesses to support the York Apprenticeship Challenge to find 100 training opportunities in 100 days.

Thom himself did an apprenticeship to help his career as an electrician.

He said: “It’s something we put in our manifesto and it was something I was trying to push for as much as possible. People don’t realise that there are apprenticeships available for such a wide variety of careers now.”

Thom trained to be an electrician ten years ago, which has led to a successful career in his family business Powerwatt.

“I was 17 and I decided academic education wasn’t for me,” he said.

Thom found a position working at York Carriageworks for a company called NTE, spending one day every other week at college.

“It was practical learning, all very much hands on. I couldn’t have done what I did if I was stuck in a classroom. I would never have followed it to the extent I did. I learnt so much more on a day to day basis doing the job with someone who had been doing it for many years.

“I hope that we do meet the target for 100 businesses in 100 days and go well beyond that into the future,” he said.

The Press launched the York Apprenticeship Campaign in association with City of York Council, the National Apprenticeship Service and other key partners yesterday.

Visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk or phone 08000 150 600 to be part of the challenge.