MP for Watford and National Apprentice Adviser Richard Harrington met with building trainees taking on apprentices with developers Barratt Homes.

Mr Harrington, who is looking to raise the number of young people entering training schemes, visited the head office in Watford on Monday.

During his visit he met two of the housebuilder’s newest recruits; 16-year-old George McMaster from Shenley - a trainee bricklayer, and Sam Waller, 16, from Watford - an apprentice carpenter.

Sam and George both work at Artisan Place, the Barratt Homes’ development in Harrow, and they spend one day a week at Oaklands College in St Albans.

Sam said: "I knew I wanted an apprenticeship so I could earn while acquiring new skills and I’m looking forward to learning different tasks. I didn’t want to stay on at school and I thought an apprenticeship would help me because I’ll have the opportunity to work and gain experience."

Mr Harrington said: "Apprenticeships are incredibly valuable – they give so many people the opportunity to earn while they learn and to develop skills that they will have for life, so it’s important that we support them."

Me Harrington’s role as the Prime Minister’s Apprenticeship Adviser means he aims to increase the number of apprenticeships taken up to three million by 2020.