As National Apprenticeship Week kicks off, with Prime Minster David Cameron set today to call for apprenticeships to become the “new norm” for those choosing not to go to university after leaving school, three major UK companies are set to hire in apprentice positions.

Saturday (9 March) additionally saw the government announce that following changes to the regulations standardising apprenticeships, the first graduate-level higher apprenticeships are to be created later this year in advanced manufacturing, commercial airline piloting and professional development at employers including defence contractor BAE Systems and airline BA.

KFC

The fast food giant is making its Intermediate Apprenticeship scheme available to all team members, meaning that by the end of the year, 3,000 KFC staff in entry-level positions will have the opportunity to study for the qualification.

Around 600 learners are currently taking part in the training.

May Gurney

The support services provider is to create over 500 apprentices over the coming 12 months, across 11 separate programmes.

May Gurney works with over 80 local councils nationally, reaching over 24m people every day, the company says, through the various services it provides, which range from highway and street lighting maintenance to waste collections and maintaining the water, waterways and gas networks.

This sees the scheme expanded nationally following schemes being operated in East Sussex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Northamptonshire.

Santander

The banking group will take on 275 apprentices this year across its head office and branch network, following a 2012 pilot scheme that saw it hire 50 apprentices, initially announced during last year's National Apprenticeship Week.

The UK-wide positions will have apprentices recruited into roles across Santander’s manufacturing, retail and telephone distribution divisions.

Marcus Lee, head of resourcing at Santander, comments: "Our aim is to offer excellent customer service and we're looking for people with real energy and passion to help us deliver a great experience for our customers every day. The Apprenticeship programme is a fantastic way to get into the banking sector and can be the first step to a long-term career with a successful global company."