Thursday, 22 October 2009 16:47 Consumers are just as likely to use a business offering Apprenticeships to young people as those holding fair trade agreements with suppliers, reveals a YouGov survey today.

The research sampled 2,000 adults in England, on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service, and found 81 per cent would be more likely or would consider using a company that takes on apprentices. This is more than the 77 per cent drawn to firms with strong environmental credentials.

The survey also highlighting a staggering 94 per cent of adults believe it is important for businesses to take on apprentices during the recession.

"These results prove that There are definite business advantages for companies in England that take on apprentices as part of their workforce. In the current economic climate, businesses want to stand out from the crowd and offering Apprenticeships is one way of doing this," says Simon Waugh, chief executive of the National Apprenticeship Service.

"It’s great that supporting young people is just as important to consumers as environmental and fair trade credentials when it comes to buying products or services. But this isn’t the only benefit that hiring an apprentice can bring to a business. We know from previous research that 80 per cent of employers agree that apprentices make their workplace more productive."

Iain Wright, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships, added: "We’ve known for some time that apprentices can bring significant benefits to the organisations they work for, and this research just confirms that. I would urge businesses that don’t employ apprentices to take note and find out more about what hiring a young person can do for them."

(Pictured: Lucianne Hinch, finalist in the National Apprenticeship Awards ‘Apprentice’ category)