YOUNG creatives from the region's digital industries will be given the chance to design and develop a brand new app or game for the National Apprenticeship Service.

The challenge, which will culminate in a prototype Facebook app or game being launched in August, offers the chance for developers aged 16-24 to receive up to £13,000 of funding to turn their ideas into reality.

The ‘Can you hack it as an apprentice’ design challenge aims to help increase the number of young people starting Apprenticeships and respond to employers calling on young people to improve the quality of their Apprenticeship applications.

As part of a wider campaign, the aim of the app or game is to raise awareness of Apprenticeships and help improve the quality of applications.

Rather than following a traditional route of appointing a creative agency to develop the new app, the National Apprenticeship Service will tap into the talent and creativity of local young people to ensure the resulting design is developed by young people, for young people.

Individuals and teams who wish to submit an entry for the competition can do so by downloading the entry form and guidelines from here or find them at www.apprenticeships.org.uk and submit their entry by 5pm on Friday  May 24.

A panel of judges from the creative industries will then select a shortlist of the five best ideas, with each developer receiving £3,000 to develop their design into a prototype beta version. Following testing, the most successful developer will then receive a further £10,000 to develop their app or game into a fully functioning product, which will be launched via the National Apprenticeship Service’s Facebook page in August.

David Way, Executive Director, National Apprenticeship Service said: “We want to do more to help young people submit high quality applications for Apprenticeships and this project will support them to do that. I encourage any young person, or group of young people who are passionate about the digital world and helping young people to fulfil their potential, to submit an entry.”

Up to 17,000 quality Apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time at apprenticeships.org.uk, allowing young people to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future.