According to new research from the National Apprenticeship Service, one in five employers currently have former apprentices working in board level positions, with 29% of companies in the South West saying they have former apprentices at senior management level. The findings are being released to mark the launch of the annual City & Guilds Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list.

Commenting on the findings, Matthew Hancock, skills and enterprise minister said: "As we can see from this research, today’s apprentice could be tomorrow’s board director. Nearly every employer that takes on an apprentice (96%) reports benefits to their business and the calibre of the companies included in this year’s Top 100 list just goes to show the breadth of employers who are now embracing apprenticeships.

“Either going to university or choosing an apprenticeship needs to become the new norm for school and college leavers. These figures support this aim and show that apprentices are able to succeed in some of the biggest businesses in the UK."