A TRAINING boss has urged East Lancashire businesses to cash in on the area’s pool of unemployed young people.

Steve Gray, chief executive of Training 2000, believes emp-loying teenagers who have just completed their GCSEs or A-Levels is the best way for a firm to build a skilled and dedicated workforce.

Mr Gray is just one of a host of business leaders in East Lancashire trying to encourage companies to take on more apprentices.

He said: “Many firms tend to think they need to hire someone with experience of the trade, but by taking on talented youngsters who are eager to learn, a firm can build and grow its own workforce from scratch, without the annoyance of having to break bad habits learnt elsewhere.

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to teach employees the skills of the trade and allow them to gain hands-on experience of how your industry works, keeping pace with the latest technology and working practices.”

As head of Training 2000, based in Furthergate, Blackburn, Mr Gray is responsible for an organisation that trains hundreds of people every year.

He said: “At Training 2000, we work closely with many employers across the region so we hear first-hand what a positive impact apprentice-ships are having on their business.”

In East Lancashire, firms are not short of choice when it comes to finding young people to fill apprenticeships.

In August, the region had 3,830 people aged 16 to 24 claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance.

Learning and Skills Council research in 2009 found that 88 per cent of employers believe apprentices help create a more motivated and satisfied workforce.

And earlier this year, Regenerate Pennine Lancashire boss Steve Hoyle revealed that 50 firms had signed up to a scheme to help apprentices get more on-the-job experience.