A NEW BID to help tackle the nationwide shortage of apprentices features Sir Alan Sugar and an Enfield garage.

Ponders End-based North London Garages (NLGGTA), which runs courses ranging from forklift truck driving to traditional mechanics, had one of its 115 apprentices featured in a TV advert for National Apprenticeship Week, which is next week.

Billionaire Sir Alan Sugar, famed for the BBC reality TV show the Apprentice, also stars in the commercial.

During the ad, Mr Sugar says: "When I met some apprentices recently I was really impressed by their attitude. They are ambitious, they are doers and they make things happen. Those are the kind of qualities that I look for in people."

North London Garages is funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and provides 14 to 25-year-olds with the theory behind the practical skills they learn in placements with local garages.

More than thirty garages in Enfield take NLGGTA apprentices.

Ollie Rayment, 18, who wants to be a racing mechanic, left Enfield Grammar school aged 16 to join NLGGTA. He is now a qualified light vehicle mechanic and should become a technician at the end of the year.

He said: "I got a Saturday job at Mark One Autos in Alma Road before I started. Knowing the technical side is useful because at work they say 'change this part' and now you can work out why. It's better for you. It also helps you speed up your work and fix things quickly. They cover every aspect you need to do - we've even been to an auction to understand the motor trade."

Robert Skipp, 18, of Waltham Cross, is in his third year of an HGV lorry apprenticeship with Hunter Vehicles in Southbury Road. He said: "It's quite intensive, I haven't stopped. A few of my friends come out of college and they have qualifications but I have skills and a permanent placement."

According to Managing Director Trevor Platups, three quarters of all apprentices complete their training and a quarter go on to become a qualified mechanic.

He said: "There is definitely a shortage of apprentices, but what we are finding is it is hard to find employers to place them. I have a lot of places on my programmes but they need to be employed first."

An LSC spokesman said: "In the current economic circumstances, it is more important than ever to ensure that employees have the skills they need to help deliver success which is why businesses should continue to train. Training will help them through the current storm while also readying them for when the storm passes."