Aware of the importance of apprenticeships to local businesses and to the economy as a whole, Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed it is to launch its apprenticeship scheme early next year.

As well as helping local firms to create positions to take on 40 new apprentices, the council will also be focusing on its own new scheme, which will include a number of measures to allow young people to access earn while they learn opportunities.

Councillor Jim Clark, the council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, told the Harrogate News that the Government has put apprenticeships at the top of its priority list in terms of the national skills agenda, and have listed a key aim as reducing the level of young unemployment across the country. Harrogate is keen to assist with these goals, Councillor Clark added.

“There has always been an interest and a commitment from our service managers for apprenticeships but funding has often been quoted as a barrier together with the council’s current pay policy for apprentices,” he told the newspaper.

“To address this, a budget of