A bid to encourage more ethnic minority businesses to take on apprentices will be made at an event in Bradford next week.

The National Apprenticeship Service and Bradford-based City Training Services are staging a round-table event to flag up available support, including government grants, to firms hiring apprentices.

The free event will focus mainly on hospitality and catering businesses, but any companies can attend.

Speakers will outline details of the Government’s flagship Apprenticeships and Traineeships programme and the event will bring together businesses from the sector. The event is at the Westbrook Building, Bradford College, on Wednesday from 4.30pm.

It is being held as part of moves to get more black and ethnic minority trainees into firms to meet the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 as research revealed that only 8.7 per cent of learners were from ethnic minorities.

Mohammed Mayat, National Apprenticeship Service employer accounts manager for Bradford and Craven, said the figure identified the need to increase the participation and achievement of people from ethnic minorities in apprenticeships.

Mohammed said: “There is evidence that youth population in Bradford and Leeds is forecast to rise sharply and therefore there will be an increase in the BAME population. Byattending this event employers will be able to find out about the apprenticeship programme and the benefits for businesses.

“Attendees will also be able to share with us their experiences and discuss the barriers faced when engaging with the apprenticeship programme.”

The event will feature speakers from the National Apprenticeship Service together with a local employer and a Bradford College apprentice.

Mr Mayat said that training for 16 to 18-year-old apprenticeships is fully funded by the Government and training places were available at various levels, covering more than 170 industries and 1,500 job roles.

He pointed out that more than 200,000 workplaces in England offered apprenticeships and more than 500,000 people started on schemes in 2012/13.

“Apprenticeships help businesses grow their own talent and nearly every employer that takes on an apprentice reports benefits to their business.

“The statistics show that 72 per cent of businesses report improved productivity as a result of employing an apprentice and apprenticeships help develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce,” said Mohammed To register for the Bradford event visit: eventbrite.co.uk /e/apprenticeships-for-ethnic-minority-businesses-in-the-hospitality-sector-tickets-11733456083.