Blue Pits Housing Action holds multi-activity day in Rochdale to celebrate the hard work of its apprentices

Newbarn Ltd and Blue Pits Housing Action have marked National Apprenticeship Week 2014 by hosting a multi-activity day for its apprentices, other employees and service users during its activity group on Wednesday (5 March).

The companies, which provide support and accommodation for adults with mental health problems and learning disabilities, have taken on four apprentices in recent years - Melody McDermott (24), Rujena Begum (22), Saira Ali (20) and Leon Catlow (19).

To celebrate the hard work of its apprentices, people in the organisations enjoyed a multi-activity day at its activity centre in Castlemere Community Centre.

Newbarn Ltd and Blue Pits Housing Action also reward their apprentices by paying them £6.31 an hour - the national minimum wage for adults aged 21 and over - almost two-and-a-half times the apprentice minimum wage rate of £2.68 per hour.

Lynn Collins, Blue Pits Housing Action Service Manager, said: "Apprenticeships offer us the opportunity to take on young, dynamic and enthusiastic workers, provide them with essential vocational training, and develop the kind of workers every company wants.

"Some of our apprentices left school without any qualifications, and in the current employment market, this causes a lot of problems. Young people find it very hard to find work nowadays - apprenticeships and the experience and training they deliver enables them to not only find work, but find a career."