FOUR young people are building the foundations of successful careers at a house building company.

David Baldwin, Sara Jayne Palmer and Lucy Scott, from Newton Aycliffe, and Lisa Ryder, from Spennymoor, all work in different roles at the regional head office of the Charles Church company, in Newton Aycliffe.

The quartet are all in the process of completing Modern Apprenticeships with the help of regional learning provider ITEC North East Limited.

Jackie Barion, from Charles Church, said: "We are happy to give our new recruits the opportunity for advancement within the company.

"Modern Apprenticeships work very well, as recruits are able to obtain qualifications while working in full-time employment, which helps the company and the individual."

By the end of next year, the Learning and Skills Council County Durham aims to have almost 14,000 people aged between 16 and 18 in structured learning.

The Learning and Skills Council is promoting learning and extending participation in education and training, and plays a key economic regeneration role in the county.

It also aims to make learning relevant to the needs of the learners and to the needs of the local economy.

ITEC North East Limited delivers Modern Apprenticeships from training centres at Newton Aycliffe, Middlesbrough and Team Valley, Gateshead.

For more information visit www.itecne.co.uk, or call in at any centre.