MORE than 90% of people in Merseyside would be more inclined to use the services of a company that offered Apprenticeships to young people, new research shows.

The study, carried out by YouGov on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service, asked a sample of 46 consumers in Merseyside what factors they considered when buying products or services.

It found that people are just as keen to buy from a company that supports young people by employing an apprentice as they are from a firm that has fair trade agreements with its suppliers (93%), or one that has strong environmental credentials (85%).

As well as highlighting the potential business benefits of employing an apprentice, the research also shows local consumers’ resounding support for young job-seekers in today’s economic climate, with 100% of people in Merseyside stating that they think it is important for companies to take on apprentices.

Sue Price, North West regional director for the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “These results prove that there are definite business advantages for companies in Merseyside that take on apprentices as part of their workforce.

“In the current economic climate, businesses want to stand out from the crowd and offering Apprenticeships is one way of doing this.

“It’s great that supporting young people is just as important to the area’s consumers as environmental and fair trade credentials when it comes to buying products or services. But this isn’t the only benefit that hiring an apprentice can bring to a business. We know from previous research that 80% of employers agree that apprentices make their workplace more productive.”

The YouGov research has been carried out by the National Apprenticeship Service to launch its Good for Business initiative, which seeks to increase the number of Apprenticeships available to 16-18-year-olds.