A County Durham business is celebrating its 40th anniversary of working with apprentices across the region.

ITEC, based in Newton Aycliffe, has been instrumental in shaping the careers of thousands of individuals while assisting businesses in upskilling their workforce.

The company is now celebrating this milestone by showcasing the support it offers and emphasising that apprenticeships are not just for the young.

Hewitts Solicitors, Bulk Tainer, and BlueCom Services are some of the companies that have successfully partnered with ITEC.

Alex Routledge, a former HGV driver, approached ITEC for an apprenticeship in IT and now works as a first-line IT support technician with BlueCom Services.

He said: "I always enjoyed working with computers so I decided to enrol for an apprenticeship to gain more knowledge in IT such as system administration, networking and PC repair.

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"I was supported by ITEC all the way through and it was the perfect way to get my foot in the door of the industry."

ITEC offers a variety of courses, including team leading, multi-channel marketing, network engineering, software development, property, and business administration.

The company currently has a range of vacancies available and wants to emphasise that these are not just aimed at school and college leavers but are also accessible for older people or those who have an existing job and want their company to help them upskill.

Rachel Evett, HR manager at Hewitts Solicitors, said: "We strongly believe in the opportunities that apprenticeships have to offer.

"ITEC has always provided excellent support, from the early recruitment phase to the end point assessment of our apprentices and their tutors build valuable relationships with ourselves and our apprentices to ensure they have everything in place to succeed."

Paul Dodd, head of business support and performance at ITEC, said: "The world of apprenticeships is very different these days and far more accessible.

"Our apprenticeships give people the opportunity to open doors to new careers or to help them grow in their existing jobs."