LIVERPOOL Chamber of Commerce is spearheading a new community interest company to help create hundreds of apprenticeships.

Trading as Liverpool Futures, the venture has been created by the chamber, Liverpool council and Liverpool Community College and will be launched next Tuesday as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

Trading Liverpool is an Apprentice Training Association (ATA) which will employ trainees and assume all responsibilities such as paying sick pay, agreeing holiday entitlement and dealing with disciplinary issues.

Participating businesses will pay an agreed wage and look after apprentices’ welfare while on their premises.

But the ATA will assume many of the legal and regulatory requirements around employment that sometimes inhibit smaller firms from taking the plunge and recruiting an apprentice.

Training costs for youngsters aged 16-18 will be met by the Government.

Apprentices aged 19 or over will have a major part of their training costs met. This also applies to existing staff who could benefit from specialised training or a higher level apprenticeship.

While host companies are under no obligation, the partners behind Liverpool Futures hope the scheme will generate long-term jobs for apprentices.

And if a host company’s circumstances change during the training period, the ATA will find the apprentice another business to complete their qualifications.