A BRADFORD-based utility company has been named as one of the top employers of apprentices in the UK.

It is the first time Yorkshire Water has been ranked in the UK’s list of top 100 employers of apprentices which includes leading brands such as BT, Jaguar Land Rover and Virgin Media.

Last year nYorkshire Water launched its biggest ever apprenticeship recruitment scheme by committing to hire 160 apprentices up to 2020, mainly in operational roles.

The new top 100 list was announced at the National Apprenticeship Awards in London and includes only nine other Yorkshire firms. Yorkshire Water was included alongside three other UK water companies.

Rebecca McDonnell, Yorkshire Water talent manager, said: “As one of the biggest employers in the region with 3,000 staff, we are committed to providing opportunities for young people throughout the region.

"It is crucial that we do this so that as a company we retain the technical skills that have been nurtured in our workforce in recent decades and to also help overcome a skills gap predicted in the utility sector by 2025 partly due to an ageing workforce.”

New positions at Yorkshire Water will include operational, engineering, IT and office based roles as it looks to recruit the next generation of skilled employees to serve its five million customers.

Chris Jones,chief executive of City & Guilds, which sponsors the top apprenticeship employer list, said: “High quality apprenticeship programmes can help individuals gain the skills they need to progress. And for employers, apprenticeships play a crucial role in developing a skilled workforce.

"These Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers have experienced these benefits firsthand; I hope other employers are motivated to follow in their footsteps.”

The list is has been published at a time when nearly one in five 18-24 year-olds across Yorkshire are not in education, employment or training .

Meanwhile, the Industry Apprentice Council has launched its third annual survey, provide a picture of apprentices' views on the key issues affecting vocational schemes .

The survey runs until Friday February 19 and the results will be published in the spring.

and used to inform employers, educators, training providers and the Government on apprenticeship issues.

Julia Chippendale, managing director of skills body EAL, said: “The power of the apprentices’ voice is seen by the fact the survey is taken very seriously. It is presented to the relevant skills ministers, to MPs, stakeholders and policymakers. The first-hand experience of the young people produces compelling evidence which must be heard and acted upon."

The online survey can be found on the IAC website