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As national Apprenticeship Week began yesterday, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced that the GLA group is well on its way to providing more than 3,000 apprenticeships over the next three years.
A raft of different training opportunities, including work placements will be on offer, ranging from customer services to electrical engineering, which will create a better skilled workforce and boost the capital's economy.
The Mayor's economic recovery plan published last December set out a range of measures to help support the capital during the economic downturn, including the GLA group providing at least 1,000 apprenticeships a year until 2012, as well as work placement opportunities.
Transport for London and its contractors will be recruiting around 650 adult and 115 young apprentices over the next year and the Metropolitan Police Service and Metropolitan Police Authority are advancing plans to provide over 150 apprenticeships.
The GLA group is also establishing a new apprenticeship scheme in business administration which will provide around 15 training places later in 2009.
Most importantly, the group is working closely with existing and potential suppliers to encourage them to create apprenticeship schemes. We are also taking forward innovative new contract terms with our major suppliers that promote skills and training programmes.
The Mayor said: "I am confident that London will emerge from this downturn strong and ready to challenge what will undoubtedly be stiff competition. But we must be ready and that means, even during this uncertain period, we must keep up our training schemes so we have a skilled workforce for the future. At the GLA, we are pushing forward by expanding current programmes and creating new ones and I urge employers from across London's sectors to follow our lead and seek the wealth of advice and support that is out there. In my role as Chair of the London Skills and Employment Board I am ensuring we make it a highest priority to provide the best possible support to London's businesses."
(CD/JM)
