A Honiton councillor has called upon local businesses to take advantage of apprenticeship schemes.

Councillor Mike Allen, who is East Devon District Council’s champion member for business, told a meeting of Honiton Town Council last week that it was a great way of getting ‘excellent employees’.

He said: “We are encouraging all local businesses throughout East Devon to take advantage and explore the funding that comes with taking on apprentices. It is a superb way of getting excellent employees trained on the job.”

Cllr Allen praised the excellent exam results in the area and said apprenticeships were a good career alternative for young people in terms of earnings and presented a good alternative to university.

Councillor Peter Halse said that it had to be a business decision and that many businesses did not want help from Government and felt this would ‘tie their hands far too much’.