Calls were made for Fenland District Council to recruit more apprentices after one councillor said she was “surprised” there is only one on the books at Fenland Hall.

Councillor Virginia Bucknor said: “I am surprised at how low the figures are generally (number of apprentices in Fenland).

“We have only got one young person who is training with the council and I was hoping we could perhaps look at using more if they are perhaps more interested in doing the work. For example, someone could work with the press officer.”

Cllr Bucknor told councillors that a recent visit to a factory found it had two apprentices “and they came from Sweden as they applied.

“Why didn’t they take anybody else? They didn’t apply.”

Councillor Fred Yeulett, portfolio holder for growth, said: “We are always trying to work with local employers to encourage apprenticeships.

“We visited the College of West Anglia recently to meeting the motor mechanics apprentices. The Fenland Enterprise Business Awards – the winner of the apprentice award was from Metalcraft (in Chatteris).

“We must look at it and see what we can do. That’s the same for people with disabilities. We will take it up and try to address this further.”