The principal of City College Brighton and Hove, Phil Frier, has urged employers to take on more apprentices.
Mr Frier made the plea as dozens of his catering and hospitality students served lunch to business leaders at the formal opening of a new restaurant yesterday (Friday 3 February).
The event was held at the student-run East Central Brasserie at the American Express Community Stadium.
He said that it was vital for local employers to take on apprentices to tackle youth employment.
He added that 60 students from City College had been taken on at the stadium, home of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Mr Frier’s remarks were made just days before the start of National Apprenticeship Week which runs from Monday (6 February) to next Friday (10 February).
Albion chief executive Martin Perry said that the £100 million stadium had provided more than a thousand jobs – 94 per cent of them to people living locally.
He said that the 8,000 extra seats planned for the stadium at Falmer would create more local jobs as would the proposed training ground at Lancing.
