THE future of apprenticeships in Hertfordshire as the UK tries to crawl out of the recession and businesses try to remain in growth will be among the topics discussed at a conference today (Thursday). Iain Wright, Under Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform

THE future of apprenticeships in Hertfordshire as the UK tries to crawl out of the recession and businesses try to remain in growth will be among the topics discussed at a conference today (Thursday).

Iain Wright, Under Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships, will be speaking at the event at Stansted organised by the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network and the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) who say young people are the key to help industry recover from the recession.

East of England FSB policy manager David Burch told The Comet: "The recession has hit young people very hard in terms of jobs and apprenticeships so now is the ideal time for companies large and small to either start apprenticeships or take on more young people to train them up.

"As businesses get back on their feet again young people can offer so much for a company's future if they train them correctly they will provide the foundations for the recovery and for future years.

"I know these are early days with the recovery very fragile but Hertfordshire has come through the recession rather well and business must put more money into apprenticeships because both can eventually benefit from that investment.