A TOP Government minister has congratulated Bolton firm AO.com after it was named as a top apprenticeship employer.

The Bolton News reported that the Horwich-based domestic appliances firm has made it onto a list of the top 100 firms in the country for taking on apprentices, published by National Apprenticeship Service.

Now the achievement has caught the attention of the Government’s business secretary, Sajid Javid, who praised the firm for its work with young people.

He said: “I would like to congratulate AO.Com. This is a fantastic achievement for both the company and Bolton. I know that the MP for Bolton West, Chris Green is a big supporter of apprentices in his constituency and has actually taken on his own apprentice.

“Nationally the Conservatives are committed to seeing three million apprenticeships created by 2020 giving young people the chance to earn a salary and gain a qualification whilst gaining valuable workplace skills and experience.

“We are putting employers at the heart of quality apprenticeships so that young people get the skills they need to succeed, celebrating everything that apprenticeships have to offer businesses and young people.”

Mr Green, MP for Bolton West recently welcomed apprentices from Bolton missile systems company, MBDA, to Westminster as part of National Apprenticeship Week, he said: “We’ve come a long way in the last few years, with good high-quality apprenticeships on offer to local people from a huge variety of industries — in the last five years alone, 5,540 young people have started apprenticeships in Bolton West and Atherton.”

AO.com took on its first seven apprentices in April 2014, and now has apprentices working across a number of departments in the business, such as; IT, design, digital, PR, facilities and ecommerce.

Altogether, the company now has 23 apprentices working across its UK and Germany sites, with 15 of these joining the company last year. AO.com is planning on building on this foundation in 2016, with a number of other apprenticeship positions currently being planned.