Seven in 10 SMEs in the East of England are planning to hire between one and five apprentices in the next year, according to a survey by workforce development specialist TCHC Apprenticeship Survey.

The research also shows 28% of the 150+ small to medium enterprises from the East of England already employ apprentices.

TCHC chief executive, Dale Morgan, says: “While just 28% of our respondents currently employ apprentices, our results showed that 70% intend to hire between one and five in the next year. This is very encouraging and shows that the SME attitude towards apprenticeships in the region is changing.