Employers are urged to ensure their apprentices enrol at Peterborough's new university

The call comes from officials at ARU Peterborough who want company bosses to ensure at least one apprentice from each firm is enrolled at the £30 million university, which opens to students at the Embankment in September.

Now employers are being urged to sign up to the university’s Peterborough 50 apprenticeship pledge that aims to create jobs growth and to develop a highly-skilled workforce for the future prosperity of Peterborough.

University principal Professor Ross Renton said: “We are looking to continue to grow our portfolio of degree apprenticeships over the next 12 months, and we would be keen to hear from any companies who would like to discuss their training needs, or would like to sign up to our Peterborough 50 apprenticeship pledge.

"We want companies to work with us to make Peterborough a skills powerhouse through Degree Apprenticeships.”

Firms that sign up get an opportunity to contribute to economic growth through job creation, take part in joint promotion and publicity opportunities along with opportunities to network with other organisations and the university executive team.

The university has been created to equip students with skills needed in the workplace and more than 170 businesses and organisations are already working to ensure the courses provided will deliver a pipeline of talented graduates with the skills needed by local companies.

The renewed apprenticeship plea comes after Minister for Higher and Further Education Michelle Donelan MP visited ARU Peterborough to see first-hand the progress of the new university.