SINCE 2010, over 2,690 apprenticeships have been started in the Stroud Valleys and Vale. This represents fabulous progress for people training for and then starting in a career – job security and decent wages being the reward for such commitment. Many of these apprenticeships are in manufacturing and, as the Festival of Manufacturing and Engineering is under way, it is timely to underline the value of this sector in providing employment opportunities.

Complaints about apprenticeships from the left of the political spectrum – mainly Labour and their Stroud Against The Cuts allies – overlook the advantages starting a career where specialist skills are at a premium and can lead to even more opportunities for personal development. Another misunderstood aspect of apprenticeships is the value they bring to the business concerned; having a workforce trained and embedded into the overall team is often a prized outcome.

Over 1.8 million new jobs have been created in the United Kingdom since 2010. This is one the key drivers for the economic growth – now averaging some three per cent per annum – and is leading to slow but steady increased in household income. Given the scale of the recession inherited by the Coalition government, this performance is impressive.

For the Valleys and Vale, this translates into a massive reduction in unemployment (now about 600, as opposed to over 1,400 in 2010) and increased business investment. As over 75 per cent of all new jobs are full time and made even more attractive through the increases in income tax thresholds (most earners take home an extra £700 plus), being a work is fulfilling and rewarding.

Zero hour contracts are also part of the mix of employment patterns. The Coalition government is in the process of making sure nobody can be exploited but many employees prefer flexible working and the ability to have a portfolio of employment activities. Recent research by the renowned Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development reinforces these points.

Festomane is all about encouraging young people to think of engineering as a career.

One way is to do an apprenticeship and this is a route to success.