JAKE Berry, Rossendale and Darwen’s MP, has launched his 100 Apprentices in 100 Days campaign.

The Conservative MP is hoping to smash his own record following last year’s highly successful campaign that saw 203 young people find apprenticeships, doubling the target the MP set for the scheme.

This year, the campaign’s third venture, Mr Berry is aiming to find at least 250 young people apprenticeships that will get them on the way to good careers.

At the launch event at Rawtenstall Cricket Club yesterday, Mr Berry said: “I’m really excited to have launched the campaign for the third time. “So far, more than 4,000 people have started their careers off the back of it, and this year will be the biggest and best yet.

“I hope local businesses will again get behind the campaign and young people living locally will grab the opportunities with both hands, because an apprenticeship can be the start of the fantastic career.”

The event featured a talk by David J Miller Insurance Brokers, Oswaldtwistle, about the business sense in recruiting apprentices.

Nathan McLauchlan, 22, from Blackburn, took up a business and administration apprenticeship with the insurance brokers three years ago and is now running a department in the business.

The Small Business Property Owners and Liability Manager said: “I would definitely encourage anyone looking for a job to consider an apprenticeship. You learn much better being on the job, being hands on, as opposed to just studying like you do at college.”

For more information about the campaign, email Jake at jake.berry.mp@parliament.uk