Graham has been supporting National Apprenticeship Week.
Graham said: “Every time a local company hires an apprentice, their bottom line gets an average boost of £1,941. This happens immediately, while the apprentice is being trained, and represents the benefit after typical wage and training costs for the North West are deducted.
“Last year, 930 people started an apprenticeship in Weaver Vale. This means that new apprentices alone provided a local boost of around £1,805,000 in 2012/13.
“However, some polls show that 60% of small businesses are missing out because they don’t know enough about how apprenticeships work. Many assume that they are difficult to administer and will involve a short-term cost.
“It’s really important that employers know there are apprenticeships for all shapes and sizes, including those in non-traditional sectors like accounting and law.”
“The new research was commissioned by AAT, which has pioneered apprenticeships in accounting. Non-traditional areas like accounting now make up the majority of apprenticeships, demonstrating the huge expansion in the range and types available.”