A Surrey apprenticeship campaign that was so successful it was extended, has hit its new target for getting young people on the career ladder.

Surrey County Council went back to the drawing board and raised its aim after its original goal of creating 200 apprenticeships was achieved four months early.

Now the revised target of giving an extra 65 under-19s a leg-up in their careers by offering employers a cash incentive, has been reached in less than three months.

The initial scheme was launched as part of a drive to stimulate economic growth.

The drive has also seen plans put in place to combat the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

In February, the council announced it was investing £750,000 this financial year in boosting young people’s job prospects through apprenticeships, traineeships and other opportunities.

Referring to the latest apprenticeship campaign, Garath Symonds, Surrey County Council’s assistant director for young people, said: “Reaching this goal is great news. “We were thrilled when our initial target of 200 apprenticeships was reached four months early, so we raised the bar.

“That target has now been passed too, and I’m sure many more employers will join us this year to get the skilled workforce they require to thrive, and provide young people with the leg-up they need to find work in these tough times.”

A county-wide chain of ten skills centres designed to boost the job prospects of NEETs is set to be completed this month with the final two centres to be launched in Woking and at Redhill Family Centre.

The Redhill centre will take over from the Horley venue, which was one of five opened last year by the county council.