Barnet Council has pledged to create 82 new apprenticeship opportunities across the borough in a variety of vocations.

National Apprenticeship Week 2017 begins today (Mar 6) as the council kicks off a run of events to celebrate its young trainee workers.

Positions offered in the council’s new programme will cover several disciplines including business administration, social care, parks, passenger transport, waste and recycling, plumbing and electricity.

More than 300 apprenticeship placements have been set up across the borough on the council’s regeneration sites and 1,500 apprenticeships were started last year.

Leader of the council Cllr Richard Cornelius said: “It is wonderful to see the apprenticeship opportunities created by Barnet Council and our partners being taken up across our borough.

“We are fully invested in providing these opportunities for those of all ages in a variety of fields, and welcome National Apprenticeship Week as a chance to recognise and promote the hard work of individuals and employers across Barnet.”

Finchley MP Mike Freer will host a jobs fayre at Golders’ Green Parish Church on Friday (Mar 10).

Mr Freer said: “The fayre has been a great success since I ran the first one back in 2013.

“So often people applying for jobs or apprenticeships are communicating with potential employers through a computer screen.

“At the fayre, those attending will instead be able to have one-to-one conversations with professionals from a variety of careers.”

Middlesex University will also be running a post-16 career options event on Monday, March 20.