Eight in 10 company managers believe apprentices to be an important part of growing their business, according to new research published today.

The study, commissioned by the Skills Funding Agency to mark National Apprenticeship Week, also found that those managers hiring apprentices were five times more likely to believe their business would expand rapidly, while two-thirds of those managers working for expanding businesses believed employing the right staff, or having employees with the right skills, was the most important factor in achieving that growth.

Growing the apprenticeship scheme to £3 million by 2020 is a government priority. Last month, Sue Husband, the Skills Funding Agency’s director for apprenticeships and delivery service, told TES she believed the apprenticeship levy was key in achieving that target, because it not only secured funding for the scheme, but also meant businesses had a vested interest in the success and quality of the scheme.

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