Central Apprenticeships

A British defence company is to recruit a record 568 apprentices in 2014. BAE Systems will be recruiting some of the workforce in Telford to help build the next generation of nuclear submarines.

Positions start in September 2014 and last 42 months.

The Black Country's new City Deal will create 1,500 apprenticeships in high-value manufacturing jobs, providing support for almost 3,000 long-term unemployed people in the area to help them find a job.

Speaking on behalf of the local authorities, Councillor Roger Lawrence, Leader of Wolverhampton City Council said:

Chair of the Black Country LEP, Stewart Towe, said feedback from businesses suggests that assisting the growth of high-value manufacturing is critical to the prosperity of the Black Country.

The number of teenagers getting top GCSE marks in the East Midlands has fallen for the first time in the exam's 24-year history.

Thousands of students got their results today, the number getting five A-Cs dropped very slightly to 69.4%.

Meanwhile, a row has erupted about the English results after many students were awarded lower than expected grades. Teachers have accused exam boards of marking them too harshly.

There was disappointment for some today with lower than expected English marks, for the students themselves it could mean the difference between getting the essential grades to take them onto college.

For the teachers, some may feel they let their students down because they had predicted higher grades than the ones they eventually got.

Schools themselves have to meet targets on A - C grades at GCSE so this could affect their figures. As for the exam boards they deny they have been too harsh. This is what one exam board had to say today:

Operations Manager of Futures Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Michelle Wright, says that students need to know what is right for them.