A TEES Valley company which provides professional services to the UK communications sector has taken on 20 apprentices.

MAP Group, which is based in Stockton, has taken on the apprentices to meet the demand from its customers, while also investing in the future skills of its workforce.

The recruitment adds to MAP’s existing commitment to apprenticeships, and the company said it could employ up to 50 apprentices once it takes on more later in the year.

The business started as a small operation in 1993, offering costefficient electrical installations to the commercial and domestic sectors, and has now grown into a business which operates from an 8,000sq m building on Teesside.

HR manager Roy Fraser said: “To stay ahead of our game we need to keep pace of an ever-changing communications sector.

“By taking on our very first group of apprentices, we aim to remain competitive by integrating people into our organisation from a grass roots level and developing them to suit our way of working.

“Each of our apprentices will become fully qualified multi-skilled telecommunications technicians within the next 12 months.”