Can Southwark firms set up 100 apprenticeships in 100 days?

Southwark Cabinet Member for children's services Cllr Catherine McDonald hosted the launch on Thursday at the council's Tooley Street offices with a breakfast gathering for local employers.

Looking at the prospects for the coming 15 weeks, Cllr McDonald said that a 100-day deadline had recently been met in the West Country where she had looked at a similar project.

"You do not have to do the A level route to get into higher education," said Vic Grimes representing the National Apprenticeships Service. "You can do it through apprenticeships."

Lykke Leszczynski, Director of Business & Corporate Services at WPF Therapy in nearby Magdalen Street, spoke about her organisation's support.

Kevin Quinn, joint managing director of Southwark News which is backing the initiative, stressed the ideal of local people having training for local work.

Afterwards two apprenctices, Hailey Green of Virtual Human Resources in Mill Street and Sandra Gill of Southwark Council, described the opportunities they had discovered.

Businesses represented at the launch included the London Probation Trust, Serco, Babcock International, Balfour Beatty Construction, Barrett and Jerwood Space.

Southwark Council is promising 37 opportunities towards the 100 total. Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Veolia have also pledged to take on apprentices.

Further information is available on www.apprenticeships.org.uk