A TEAM creating employment and training opportunities for young people has supported its 300th apprentice into work.

Redcar and Cleveland Council’s routes to employment programme reached the milestone after helping Ellie Smart into her care assistant apprenticeship at Redcar-based Mulroy’s Seaview Nursing Home.

Miss Smart is studying health and social care at Redcar and Cleveland College as part of her training.

The 17-year-old, who hopes to become a psychiatric nurse, said: “I love it at Mulroy’s, it’s like a little family.

“I knew I wanted to go into a care setting in my last year at school, it suits my personality because I am a caring person and really enjoy looking after people.

“I'm finding the college assignments come easier to me because I can use real examples from the workplace to highlight practice.”

Mark Hannon, the council’s cabinet member for economic development, said the council has worked with more than 200 private sector businesses to create apprenticeships and is looking for more.

He said: “The original target was to help create 130 apprentices by the end of March, but now we have exceeded that we’re trying to help as many young people and employers as we possibly can.”

Wage subsidies of up to £11,000 per apprentice, trainee or graduate are available to employers through the Tees Valley Skills and Apprenticeship Programme, funded by the Regional Growth Fund.