Travis Perkins has conducted a survey among homeowners, which reveals what consumers think about apprentices and training.
The survey conducted ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, revealed that 70% of the 1,100 homeowners surveyed believe that building firms with a turnover of over £500,000 should take on an apprentice each year.

TP supports the concept of apprenticeships and, this year alone, is recruiting 138 new management apprentices throughout the company, which would bring the total number of apprentices working for the firm to 300.

Some of the company's top executives, including chief executive John Carter, came up through the ranks of its management apprenticeship scheme.

The study also found that 55% believe the government should pay for a year's apprenticeship for young people aged 19-24, while 48% said there should be a government scheme to help people retrain later in life, and 64% thought there should be a government programme to help the long-term unemployed train in building skills and get them placed into an apprenticeship.

Travis Perkins group human resources director Carol Kavanagh said: "We recognise that skills and training are not only the lifeblood of the industries and trades that we serve but also of our own company.

"The results indicate that homeowners want to see building firms - and the government - throwing their weight behind apprenticeships and related programmes to guarantee that the people carrying out works have the skills necessary to do the best job and to professionally thrive."

National Apprenticeship Week runs from Monday, March 3 to Friday, March 7.