Tougher apprenticeships planned to cut unemployment Speaking at the Mini factory in Oxfordshire on Monday, Mr Cameron will also announce that rising numbers of top companies are pledging to offer more vocational training schemes. This includes Accenture, BAE Systems, Barclays, BT, Diageo, HSBC, M&S, National Grid, Tesco and Unilever. In all, 100,000 additional training places will be offered over the next two years, he will say. "I said earlier this month that I want us to deal with the scourge of youth unemployment by giving young people more chances and choices in life," he says. This goes to the heart of my vision for this country: backing hard working people who want to get on in life and making sure Britain competes and thrives in the global race. He adds: "The reforms we're announcing today will put employers in the driving seat and ensure that we deliver high quality training that supports you and our economy for years to come. And as the range of companies signed up today shows, these are apprenticeships in different industries and sectors meaning people have a real choice about the career they want and our economy is balanced. The comments come amid a surge in the number of school leavers considering apprenticeship schemes particularly after a sharp hike in university tuition fees. Previous figures have shown that the average apprenticeship post now receives 11 applications each. In some industry sectors, such as plumbing and events management, the number rises well above 30. Many leading companies are now said to be competing directly with universities to recruit the most able young people.