Apprenticeship Week in England takes place from 1 until 5 February 2010. The week will celebrate the talents and skills of apprentices. It will see apprentices, employers, providers and all others involved in apprenticeships coming together to celebrate the value of apprenticeships.

Since 1996-97, over 2 million people have started an apprenticeship. There are currently over 130,000 employers offering apprenticeships, and there are over 200 different types of apprenticeship across 80 industry sectors. The Government have committed £5 million to develop new frameworks at levels 3 and 4, and are offering 1,000 new scholarships worth £1,000 each to encourage the best apprentices to progress into higher education.

More information on apprenticeships can be found on the Government's website at http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/