A HAMPSHIRE apprenticeship scheme has received a £50,000 cash boost.

The county council has topped up its apprenticeship grants scheme which helps local businesses take on young people as apprentices.

The money is enough to support about another 25 apprentices.

A basic grant of £2,000 per apprentice was available to small businesses to continue taking on apprentices when economic pressures may have led to cuts in training and recruitment.

Since the scheme started in April 2010 with a budget of £195,000, including £35,000 for an apprenticeship co-ordinator, 55 companies have been supported to take on 76 apprentices in a wide variety of roles.

The programme has now closed but the authority received a further 44 applications– most of which would be eligible for support if funding was available.

Council chiefs decided to divert money from another budget aimed at supporting the labour market in Hampshire.

Councillor Raymond Ellis, executive member for economic development and rural affairs, said: “I am delighted to be able to give Hampshire businesses a chance to take on more young people as apprentices.

“The apprenticeships give us the opportunity to grow our own Hampshire talent and will give people an opening to gain valuable skills for the future and contribute to the local economy.”

Fair Oak-based AFS Haulage recently recruited two apprentices to be trained in business administration.

Peter Carney, a manager at AFS Haulage, said: “The Hampshire County Council grant has made the process of training and mentoring so much quicker and made it a lot easier to give apprentices the time they deserve.”