TOWN businesses need to attract under 25s into apprenticeship schemes, says one entrepreneur.

Chris Wood, CEO of Blagrove-based Develop Training Limited, spoke after a new report suggested a government apprenticeship drive has failed to deliver opportunities for under 25s.

“Swindon is a great place to start a career. There are so many big businesses in the town and of course many different opportunities for people to start a career,” he said.

“Businesses in Swindon need to recognise there is a prime opportunity to recruit new talent and it’s not just a case of finding people to do manual labour.”

Develop Training Limited provides compliance, technical and safety training for more than 7,000 firms. DTL, which is based in Frankland Road, works with town-based businesses such as BT and Western Power.

Chris said it was imperative to hire apprentices of all ages to ensure skills could be passed on.

“It is vital for the utilities industry to stand back and consider how it can combat the potentially catastrophic skills gap, a situation exacerbated by an ageing sector workforce. Apprenticeships are vital in providing training for the next generation. They echo a return to more traditional trade and professional training models and address direct calls for workplace training to be made more relevant.

“Businesses may be attracted to over 25s because they have the life experience and degrees and can see themselves fitting into the company, “Those who have just left mainstream education may not be as appealing because they may not have the skills that they need.

“There can also be a negative perception around apprenticeships, that it can only lead to certain jobs when in reality they can be a stepping stone to anything you want.”

The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission says apprenticeship starts for under-25s rose by four per cent from 2010-14, compared with 17 per cent for over-25s.

They said the government needs to invest more in apprenticeship opportunities for under-25s.

A government spokesman said an extra £25m had been allocated for recruiting 16 to 18-year-olds into apprenticeships to support the government’s pledge to deliver three million apprentices by 2020.

“Our reforms mean apprenticeships are more rigorously tested, last longer and are more responsive to the needs of employers,” he said.