A NEWPORT MS met a number of Gwent apprentices as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

John Griffiths, Senedd member for Newport East, spoke with apprentices from Coleg Gwent about their experiences.

Mr Griffiths spoke with Jon Hayward, head of apprentices at Coleg Gwent, Aaron Lambert, light vehicle maintenance and repair, Evan Ash, electrical installation, and Daniel Williams, plumbing and heating.

The MS said: “In the last five years, the Welsh Government have achieved its ambitions of 100,000 apprenticeship starts.

"Daniel, Evan and Arron are part of that figure and it was very informative to hear about why they decided to go down this route and their positive experiences of it.

"Taking on an apprentice can have lots of benefits – both for the employer and the apprentice themselves.

"They are a crucial part of our economy and provide people of all ages with opportunities to learn whilst earning a wage.”

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Mr Hayward added: “Meeting with John was a fantastic opportunity for our apprentices to share their stories and unique reasons for choosing the apprenticeship route.

"At Coleg Gwent, we feel it is important to share these stories to inspire the next generation of apprentices, and National Apprenticeship Week is a chance to put these opportunities in the spotlight.

"It is great to have a local Senedd Member taking such an interest in our learners and taking the time to listen to them and support them on their career journeys.”

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships and highlights the work being done by employers and apprentices across the country.