THE manner in which companies fought tooth and nail to retain staff has been probably the most remarkable feature of the recession, which we have just come out of.

Previous recessions have witnessed unemployment continue to rise long after figures showed the economy was back to growth. While jobless numbers may rise beyond where they are now, early indications are that the impact on unemployment will not be so severely felt as on previous occasions.

The private sector has to be commended for the innovative ways it has tackled the issue of staffing levels during a horrendous trading period.

Equally, employees deserve praise for working with employers to help them through the tough times and accepting compromise situations such as pay cuts or reductions in hours to keep firms afloat.

One area though that cannot be forgotten is the need to develop the workforce of the future. A number of companies have recognised the valuable role that apprentices play in a successful shop floor and continued to invest in training.

Yesterday marked the start of Apprenticeship Week, which is a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on this crucial area of vocationally-based learning and development. With the economic situation starting to pick up, a number of new incentives are in place to help businesses take on new young staff.

In particular, a grant has been introduced offering employers a “Golden Hello” of £2,500 for taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 17.

The grant provided by the National Apprenticeship Service is for companies with less than 250 employees that take apprentices before the end of March. This is an area that North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) is working with businesses to get more teenagers in to workplaces.

NECC is the largest vocational training provider in the North-East, offering a diverse range of apprenticeships from glass technicians to dental nurses.

I would urge companies to look to their future sustainability and that of their workforce and take advantage of the new grants to recruit an apprentice.

■ James Ramsbotham is chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce.