THE Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, took time off from grappling with the nation’s finances to meet apprentices at McLaren last Thursday.

Mr Hunt was visiting the supercar manufacturer’s Woking headquarters on Chertsey Road to mark National Apprenticeship Week, which began on Monday.

McLaren has about 120 apprentices across many areas of the business, with some senior leaders in the company being former apprentices themselves.

Mr Hunt said: “Apprenticeships are a great way to get into an industry that you’re passionate about, earn a living and develop great skills for the future.

‘‘During National Apprenticeship Week we are shining a spotlight on the amazing work done by employers and apprentices to help turn this country into a high-wage, high-skill economy and boost our plans for growth.”

The Chancellor listened with interest to the personal experiences of enthusiastic McLaren apprentices.

Charlotte said: “I was at college, did hairdressing and worked as a hairdresser but didn’t enjoy it that much. I’ve always liked cars, the job came up here and I went for it.”

Ashton, too, is enjoying his time at McLaren. 

“You work with amazing cars and amazing people, and get all the support you need,” he said.

It was left to Adam to sum up the spirit of the week. “To anyone who’s offered an apprenticeship I would say, “Grab it with both hands and go for it.’”

McLaren encourages people to apply for open positions in a variety of roles. For details, visit www.cars.mclaren.com and use the careers tab at the foot of the page.