The new construction skills academy at Exeter University will create 70 new apprenticeships and is a big boost to the city. 

It comes as figures showed a record 240.000 people starting apprenticeships last year, a 7 percent increase on 2008 in spite of the global downturn. 

It is vital that we continue to invest in skills and training, particularly through a downturn. It helps keep people in jobs and skills in the economy, reducing the impact of the recession, but it also means that when strong growth returns we’ll have the skills and trained employees to make the most of it. 

In previous recessions Governments have cut back on skills which have led to skills shortages and bottlenecks in the economy once the upturn comes.