THE aspired growth of apprentice schemes at small companies was the central focus of a meeting held at a Wickwar business with staff and MP Nick Boles, Joint Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education.


MP Boles, for Grantham and Stamford, visited Majorlift Hydraulic Equipment Ltd on Thursday, February 5 to take a tour of the factory, in the Arnolds Field Estate, and discussed the importance and growth of young apprentices working in smaller companies.


The business, which specialises in the production of Hydraulic equipment, welcomed MP Boles alongside prospective for Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall, to discuss the company’s aspiration to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer to people from the area.


The meeting, which also involved, Linsey Temple, chief executive of Gloucestershire Engineering Training, Majorlift’s apprentice training provider, involved the discussion of the future of engineering apprentice training in Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) - businesses that employ between 10 and 249 people.


Ryan Cox, 19, from Wotton-under-Edge, the company’s only apprenticeship currently two years into a four year apprenticeship, also met MP Boles during the visit to explain his role at the company.


Mr Cox said: “I’ve been working here as an apprenticeship for two years now, since July 2013, and I really enjoy it. When I heard they had an apprenticeship going here, I applied because it’s great to be able to learn at the same time as earning money.


“I’m hoping that after I have finished my fourth year I will be offered a full-time job with Majorlift, as I enjoy working here and after two years I know a lot of people in the company.


"I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship, it’s what I expected and I haven’t had to pay off debts for university and I am learning while I’m working.”


Debbie McLean, finance manager, said: “Today, we wanted to encourage the idea of the government putting more funding into apprenticeships schemes at small or medium businesses.
“It can be a concern of mine that the company makes sure to invest well into taking on apprentices, in its best interest, as it can cost a lot of money.


“Ryan is our first apprentice in about 20 years and naturally we want him to stay with us after he has finished his four year apprenticeship, we have educated him so far and when he has finished, offering him a job would be a great outcome.”


MP Boles said: “It’s been a very interesting visit and great to meet the apprentice Ryan.


“I am very much involved with encouraging apprenticeships, they are a real win win situation for everyone as not only do the apprentices learn the theory of their work, they get to work in a real and practical environment while the company, like here at Majorlift, are also benefitting.

"The apprentices are also earning money as they work and not coming away from university with debts, for example.


“It’s important that the smaller businesses can take on apprentices, and the government can help fund this in places where it really is an investment that needs assurance it will work to everyone’s advantage.”


Tristram Southgate, managering director at the company, said: “The visit was a valuable opportunity for Majorlift and GET to explain to the Government how difficult it is for small businesses to employ apprentices but also how important we see this for our mutual futures.”


Luke Hall said: “It was great to meet with Ryan, the youngest apprentice at Majorlift with the Minister. Apprenticeships give so many young people proper training and the prospect of a bright future.


“In the first week of the next Conservative Government, we will fund three million apprenticeships by reducing the benefits cap by £3,000 and removing Housing Benefit from out-of-work 18-21 year olds.


“There has never been a Conservative Majority government without a Conservative MP here in Thornbury and Yate, and I am determined to make that happen.”


The Government are planning to enrol a further 3 million apprentices during the course of the next parliament.