Apprenticeships 'will help bridge skills gap'.

ATA Selection is one of the UK's leading engineering recruitment consultancies and offers clients within the SME market a full consultancy service when it comes to sourcing permanent and contract engineering and technical sales candidates.

Now it is welcoming Sir Alan's drive to increase apprenticeships and warned that despite current economic conditions, companies should seriously consider the long-term implications of cutting out on the practice of enrolling new apprentices.

Andrew Hardaker, Managing Director for ATA Selection said: "Reducing apprenticeship schemes will only bring short-term cash flow benefits and in the long-term it is more likely to negatively impact on businesses, as it will create a skills gap further down the line.

"We want companies to look at getting school-leavers and university graduates onto apprenticeship schemes now so that they learn a trade and go in to the workplace better equipped.

"Young people need choices that motivate them and the fact is that some people learn better on the job or by seeing how their learning applies to the real world."

The advertising campaign follows a government announcement of its commitment to support an additional 35,000 apprentices into the marketplace next year.

A total of 140 million will be invested to deliver new and additional apprentices nationally in both the public and private sectors.

In a recent poll conducted on behalf of Government, 80 per cent of employers felt that apprentices made them more competitive and reduced staff turnover.

Andrew continued: "This is a tremendous initiative and one which we hope will help employers grasp the real value of apprenticeships - particularly in a volatile marketplace such as this.

"Whilst they are an additional overhead - it is money well spent and with this latest government support initiative it is an option well worth considering."

ATA Selection has a network of ten regional offices across the UK, from Glasgow to Slough.

It is part of ATA Recruitment Ltd which operates within a number of markets and specialises in engineering, rail, technical sales, construction and energy recruitment, providing skilled permanent and contract workers of varying levels to companies ranging from SMEs to multinationals throughout the UK.

Over 100 consultants are employed across the UK, each of whom are experts both in specific markets and their regional marketplace.