Wiltshire College’s 100 in 100 campaign is drawing to a close, and still has a long way to go to match 100 apprentices with apprenticeships in the next couple of weeks.

This week 35 apprentices had been placed by day 82, with more than 40 leads being chased up.

For small and medium businesses government funding to pay for the cost of an apprentice is available, and it made all the difference to Rose’s Gardening Services in Warminster.

Without it they wouldn’t have been able to take on apprentice Jake Hindley, who is taking an apprenticeship in horticulture.

Ellen Scudamore, from Rose’s, said: “Because the work is seasonal, we thought about it, but it’s such a commitment. Without the funding it would have been too much of a risk.

“We had lots of lads come and do work experience, but Jake stood out.

“There’s lots of different new skills for him to learn, apart from just gardening.

“The more skills someone has, the more valuable they become.”

Mr Hindley, 25, who was out of work for four months before starting the apprenticeship, is now attending college on Fridays and earning a wage during the week.

He said: “I never thought I’d be involved in an apprenticeship, but it’s an advantage to learn and get paid, and it’s an investment for the future.

“If it was just learning, it would be struggle.”