AN ALTON apprentice who has been in his post for just one month met East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds as part of a national campaign to raise the profile of apprenticeships.

Will Carter, 19, from Liss, joined the finance team for Testo in January.

He was recruited through East Hampshire District Council’s apprenticeship scheme which offers businesses funding towards apprentice wages, travel and training.

Visiting during National Apprenticeship Week, Mr Hinds was delighted to meet Will and find out more about the opportunities being an apprentice has opened up for him.

He said: “More and more businesses are seeing the value of apprenticeships as a way of developing talent within the business and also investing in the future of those young people.

“EHDC does a terrific job supporting apprenticeships. The scheme it runs, which provides money for wages, travel and transport, really makes it easy for employers to take on young people and bring them on in this way.”

Based in Newman Lane, Alton, Testo manufactures and calibrates measurement instruments for temperature, moisture, gas analysis and a huge variety of other applications.

Operations director Paul Jordan said: “Over the years Testo has employed a number of apprentices and we have found it very beneficial.

“It offers someone the chance to get experience in the working environment while also getting the training they need.”

Will said: “An apprenticeship was perfect for me because I felt I was ready to move into a business environment – and it gave me the opportunity to keep training while also earning a wage.”