AN extra £20 million funding is being made available to the Government’s traineeships programme.

The programme helps to support young people to gain the skills, experience and confidence they need to get apprenticeships and other jobs.

This year’s traineeships began in August to equip 16 to 25-year-old with the necessary skills to compete in the labour market.

Skills minister Matthew Hancock said: “The programme is off to an excellent start with strong backing from employers and training providers. We have responded to this demand by providing additional investment and in time traineeships will become the clear route for young people looking to get the crucial grounding they need in the world of work.”

More than 500 providers have pledged to take on trainees this year and so far 150 companies, both large and small, have all expressed an interest in offering placements to young people.

The traineeships are part of the Government’s wider aim to ensure the future workforce possess the skills that employers want.

They last a maximum of six months and provide work preparation training such as interview preparation and CV writing, support to improve English and maths skills and a high-quality work experience placement.

Chris Starling, head of apprenticeships at Virgin Media, said: “Traineeships are a great opportunity for both parties, not only can the employer get to know the trainee but the trainee can get real exposure to the type of career that is available and make an informed decision that is best for them.”