A pioneering social media apprenticeship programme which has succeeded in the North West is being extended into West Yorkshire- with the backing of some leading employers.

The Juice Academy course is designed to develop young people to become social media experts for companies, tapping into their familiarity with sites and language.

A group of ten business heads - including Asda’s head of communications, Dom Birch, Finn Communications’ managing director, Richard Rawlings and Chartered Institute of Marketing regional director, Di Earles - have formed an advisory panel which will help introduce The Juice Academy to West Yorkshire.

Headteacher Jonny Mitchell, whose Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury featured on Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire series, has also joined the group as an advocate of apprenticeships.

The Juice Academy – the brainchild of Tangerine PR in Manchester – has expanded into this region to meet demand from employers and young people for a programme that both addresses an industry-wide social media skills gap and trains youngsters in its practical application.

Lucy Adams, senior project co-ordinator, said: “Word is spreading fast about the programme, with more and more businesses from outside the North West approaching us to take part. It is therefore imperative that we build a strong advisory panel in each of the regions we are expanding in to.

“The interest and support we have received so far from our Yorkshire Advisory Panel, highlights its commitment to helping us bridge the gap between businesses and bright young people. It is the foundation of a positive future for The Juice Academy’s success in Yorkshire and Humberside.”

Founded a year ago, The Academy has already successfully placed nearly 40 young apprentices with brands such as BetFred, Pets at Home and Regatta. To date, the academy has achieved a 100 per cent success rate, with all of its students securing permanent, full-time roles with their placement employers.

Jonny Mitchell said: “Social media is such an intrinsic part of the lives of young people today and I’m going to do all I can to ensure as many of our region’s students are able to benefit from the superb career opportunities opening up to them via this unique initiative.”

Training modules for apprentices include social media management, developing content for social sharing, developing a digital strategy, keyword analysis and social media for mobile.

The Juice Academy will host its first Yorkshire and Humberside boot camp selection process on Monday July 14 , where potential apprentices will meet interested employers and complete a series of creative and strategic tasks.

The Yorkshire programme is now open to applications from both businesses and apprentices. For more information visit .juiceacademy.co.uk.