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With 1 month to go until National Apprenticeship Week, BT has announced the launch of 1,400 new apprenticeship and graduate jobs.

As part of the recruitment drive, the company has committed to offering a wide range of opportunities including roles in cyber security and software development. The new cohort of apprentices and graduates will be based across the country including London, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Welcoming the news, Skills Minister Nick Boles said:

Three million more apprenticeships by 2020 will create exciting opportunities for working people of all ages and help businesses around the country acquire the skills they need to compete.

These apprenticeships at BT will offer people the hands on experience they need to succeed. I would encourage more businesses to follow their lead and hire apprentices.

The government is committed to creating more high quality apprenticeships by 2020 including many more at degree level so that people across the country can gain the skills employers want and need. Apprenticeships are set to be one of the great success stories of the decade, and we want employers and people in all sectors of the economy to be able to benefit.

This comes after figures released yesterday which show the proportion of young people who have left full time education and are unemployed has fallen to 5.6% - the lowest on record.

On the benefits of the apprenticeship route, Gavin Patterson, Chief Executive of BT, commented:

Technology is changing all the time and companies need to support and train young people to develop the skills required for successful careers in essential areas such as science, engineering and information technology.

The UK has been ranked as the leading digital economy in the G20 for the past 5 years, and our investment in these people will help this continue.