A new apprenticeship designed to develop entrepreneurial skills in business and innovation was launched yesterday by Dragons’ Den investor Peter Jones and enterprise minister Matthew Hancock.

The Ignite Higher Apprenticeship in Innovation and Growth is said to prepare young people for a “twenty-first century workplace”, and gives them an opportunity to “earn while they learn”.

The qualification was launched during national Apprenticeship Week. Figures also revealed this week show that apprenticeships are an increasingly popular way into the workplace for young people, with numbers up 30 per cent in a year.

The Higher Apprenticeship was devised in association with Pearson, while Grant Thornton and Jessops are among the first companies to enrol school leavers.

Mr Hancock said: “Young people are increasingly making apprenticeships their first choice and over half say they would like to do an Apprenticeship if one were available.

“I would like it to be the new norm for all young people to choose either an apprenticeship or university to further their education.”