A new government campaign to encourage more young people into apprenticeships has been launched this week.

The ‘Get In, Go Far’ campaign coincides with the introduction of 40 new employer-designed apprenticeships, and is the third phase of the ‘trailblazer’ programme that was launched in October last year, which aims to ensure every apprentice in England is enrolled on an employer-approved and designed scheme by 2016/17.

Over 200 employers and training providers were involved in designing the new scheme.

Business secretary Vince Cable visited a number of businesses yesterday to meet apprentices at work, including Siemens Mechanical Drives, as well as the set of Emmerdale at ITV studios in Leeds.

Speaking from the studios, he said: “For too long there has been a divide between university and vocational education which has been damaging for both employers and young people.

“Placing university degrees and apprenticeships on an equal footing will help to break down barriers and better meet the needs of business.

“The reforms to apprenticeships enable employers to design and deliver apprenticeships that meet their needs, giving young people valuable qualifications and helping them to build successful careers from television production to advanced manufacturing.”

The government hopes this new campaign will highlight the variety and quality of apprenticeships on offer in a variety of industries.

Real apprentices are being included in the scheme’s marketing efforts by appearing in adverts taking ‘selfies’ in their places of work, and featuring on TV, posters and digital channels.

Skills minister Nick Boles has also been visiting apprentices, and was seen taking ‘selfies’ with the apprentices at Google.

“As another group of young people achieve their GCSE and A Level results, there has never been a better time to consider an apprenticeship,” he said. “Through an apprenticeship young people can achieve a degree and work at some of the biggest companies in the country.”

Tim Thomas, head of employment and skills policy at manufacturers’ organisation EEF, welcomed the launch of the campaign:

“With two-thirds of manufacturers planning to recruit an engineering apprentice in the next 12 months, starting salaries well above average, accelerated career progression and in many cases a job for life, manufacturers are shouting from the rooftops to attract young people into their industry.

“We know from our own experience of training apprentices at EEF’s training centre just how far these talented young people go in the world of work.”

According to government data, over 1.8 million people have taken on apprenticeships in England since 2010, and this figure continues to grow.