WOULD-BE apprentices will watch a car transformed from an old banger into the envy of the road at a live event next month.

The Apprenticeships Live event will show youngsters from across the Tees Valley the hands-on uses of vocational qualifications.

Based on popular TV shows such as Top Gear and MTV's Pimp My Ride, the live show will see a crowd of more than 300 youngsters watch a car transformed by a team of specialist car customisers.

Organised by the Redcar and Cleveland College, TTE Management and Technical Training Centre of Specialised Engineering for the Process and Manufacturing Industries, Apprenticeships Live will highlight the educational route to learning the skills involved in such a process.

Chris Coupland, manager of the Centre of Vocational Excellence, said: "When deciding on a career path, many young people still think you either leave school and get a job, or continue in education, and Apprenticeships Live is designed to dispel that myth.

"There are vocational routes through education which can help young people learn the skills they need to get into such engineering careers to degree level and beyond.

"It is also important to highlight how academic subjects, such as maths, can be extremely important in these areas, which can be misconstrued as purely vocational."

The event takes place at TTE's training centre on Wednesday, May 11, starting at 2pm.