Employment: Apprentices usually go on to full time work with their employer as a qualified technician. Many former apprentices are now mentoring younger learners on the programme.

Learners at Tyneside Training Services say they like working as apprentices because the programme offers:

• Opportunity to gain a useful qualification
• Good training at work
• Interactive Teaching
• Good Support
• Conveniently located training centre

Ashley Trout, 19, has been an vehicle maintenance apprentice at Tyneside since leaving school in August 2005. In 2007 he won the Apprentice of the Year award. Ashley is now on placement at Hexham Horseless Carriage, in Hexham, and is working towards completing his Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship and aims to finish in June this year.

Ashley told Term Time: “The course has given me the opportunity to get a full time job and learn a really worthwhile trade.”