An early-year surge in apprentice numbers has allowed a Norfolk- based training provider to scrap plans to introduce a 20pc staff pay cut.

Bosses at EAGIT, a specialist engineering training provider, based at Hurricane Way in Norwich, proposed the cut in December as a means of overcoming a funding shortfall sparked when the number of apprentices being taken on by firms halved in a year.

The measure would have affected all 31 EAGIT staff and 21 training staff, though the hope was that it would only have been temporary and EAGIT had promised to reinstate pay in the following year.

But David Shorten, chief executive of EAGIT, which is a registered charity, said the boost in numbers has rendered the cut unnecessary.

'We are reviewing the business each month and we have had a lot of new apprentices sign up and fortunately it means we don't have to implement the cut,' Mr Shorten said.

'We were humbled by the support of the staff last year and we've now been able to tell them that the cut won't be imposed.'

Other changes had also been introduced which had helped boost recruitment, including concentrating the amount of time spent away from the workplace into fewer longer days.

'Over the past few months we've been listening to employers and we've had a concerted marketing campaign aimed at employers,' Mr Shorten added.

'We've also created some new delivery models so that instead of coming full-time, we've structured it so that we've got longer days, and day-release programmes. That's all gone down very well.

'We are expecting to start in excess of 30 apprentices in the first three months of this year.

'We are seeing a bit more confidence in the engineering sector and employers are more willing to invest in the future and we are pleased with that.

'We are certainly confident for the remainder of this year and the next.'

shaun.lowthorpe@archant.co.uk