AS fears grow about the levels of unemployment among young people, there has been widespread support for National Apprenticeship Week.

As Erith and Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce has urged local employers to take on apprentices from Bexley College, her colleague David Evennett, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford visited the Just Learning nursery in Bexleyheath to speak to apprentice Jade Vale about her experiences working with children and the study her apprenticeship involves.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has already launched a drive to create 20,000 new apprenticeships in the capital, and has written to 50 of London largest businesses and 50 smaller ones, urging them to take on apprentices.

The letters have been aimed at industries where there is no tradition of apprenticeships.

The Mayor has already created his own 1,000 apprentice opportunities across the Greater London Authority and hopes to increase it to 3,000 by next year.

London has 14 per cent of UK’s population but only five per cent of new apprenticeships.

Mr Johnson said: “We’ve come a long way since the archetypal apprentice was male, boilersuited and hammered metal in a workshop.

“Today’s apprentices are from all walks of life and are training in all sorts of careers.”

Transport for London, working in partnership with the London boroughs and its contractors is promising 2,500 apprenticeships.London’s cycle hire scheme already has 24 new apprentices and 133 recruits who were previously jobless.

Bexley Council also runs an apprenticeship scheme.

During Apprenticeship Week last week, technology giant Microsoft announced 10,000 apprenticeships in London over the next three years.

Virgin Media has also announced nearly 90 apprenticeships and global law firm Norton Rose will also be adopting an apprenticeship scheme.