Mid Sussex MP is shown how to pull a pint as she supports pub apprenticeship scheme

During a visit to Greene King’s prime bases in Crawley, Gatwick Manor, Mrs Davies was shown how to pull a pint by current apprentice Hayley, and saw first-hand the passion and determination she brings to work.

Twelve thousand young people have joined Greene King’s apprenticeship scheme since 2011, giving them the thirst for success. Some have risen through the ranks reaching senior roles, from supervisor to manager.

The hospitality giant revealed on Friday that it is set to support a further 8,000 apprentices by 2022.

Mrs Davies said: “The raw ambition of apprentices on this scheme is undeniable and a familiar feature when I meet young people starting their journey into the workplace.

“Cash in the bank, real experience and solid qualifications all put apprentices on the front foot on their career paths, and by joining a major employer like Greene King they’re well supported to progress in the industry.”

Mrs Davies was also joined by Crawley MP Henry Smith. The pair met Graham Briggs, head of apprenticeships and employability programmes at Greene King, and heard how the scheme has helped boost the confidence of young people and empowered them to thrive in vibrant careers.

Mr Briggs said: “Apprenticeships are a great way to earn while you learn and allow people from all walks of life to build themselves a career path. Mixing learning with skills training on the job is often the perfect combination to help equip people to go far in their chosen fields.

“We’ve supported more than 12,000 apprentices at Greene King and are proud to see so many of them forging successful careers in the hospitality industry and we aim to have supported 20,000 apprentices by 2022.

“We want to demonstrate to young people from all backgrounds that apprenticeships are great places to learn transferrable skills and get a first step on the career ladder.”

As National Apprenticeship Week comes to a close, the award-winning apprenticeship scheme has set the ambitious ‘20k by 2022’ target.

The MP’s visit comes after the Government recently announced that thousands of pubs would benefit from a £1,000 business rate discount from April as part of its commitment to levelling up the UK.