Mr Evans recently visited the magazine printer Pensord to discover how the company is doing its bit to address rising youth unemployment in the valleys by returning to the traditional apprenticeship scheme.
The Labour MP met with Pensord managing director Darren Coxon on a tour of the plant.
He said: “I am delighted that Pensord are taking on these apprentices. We need skilled workers to help boost the economy and I am pleased that a local company will be at the forefront of this.”
Mr Coxon said: “This latest generation apprenticeship scheme offers a range of benefits for both ourselves and our local Welsh Valleys community in providing strong employment opportunities. It is also helping us as a business with succession planning, building capacity for growth and introducing fresh, new ideas to the business.”
With Welsh Assembly support under the Young Recruits Programme, the four new apprentices will be undertaking an NVQ in Business Improvement Techniques, a qualification designed for the manufacturing and engineering sectors.
The company is also putting four existing members of staff through the course, and all eight ‘trainees’ will have a mentor assigned to them from Pensord’s own People Development Academy.
Pensord employs 140 and prints some 380 regular publications. The £12m turnover company has invested over £13m in the past seven years, broadening from traditional printing into multi-media content delivery.