"I originally met Zenos at the Jobs fair I hosted in June, and I was incredibly impressed with the opportunity offered to young people in terms of career support, work based learning, and of course paid training.

Having visited the Watford Training Centre today and met with the young people who came to Zenos through the fair, I am completely in awe of the attitude of both apprentices and staff – which is absolutely second to none. You can genuinely see from meeting the team how passionate they are about Zenos and the opportunity it can give for those that want to take it.

Zenos are outstanding within their industry, with a qualification rate of 96% for their apprentices. The apprentices which I had the absolute pleasure of meeting discussed how similar the training centres are to the world of work, with a smart and professional environment and 9-5 working day, five days a week. The apprentices are paid an hourly rate for their time at the centre, and after 18 weeks of this paid training they enter a work placement with continued support and training from Zenos.

Considering the challenges facing young people today in finding work, the value of apprenticeships cannot be more highly exemplified than here at Zenos. Their apprentices are an absolute asset not only to the company but, as such dedicated and professional individuals, also to their families and our community. I am incredibly proud to have such an excellent centre within Watford and to have had the honour to meet such a dedicated team and inspiring young people. This is exactly the sort of scheme that should be celebrated, and I very much hope to see its success continue. "