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Representatives from The Source attended a breakfast meeting on Monday 08 February with TV's The Apprentice winner Tim Campbell, businesses and young people at the Vue Cinema Meadowhall supported by The Minister for Yorkshire and The Humber, Rosie Winterton.

Ms Winterton, who recruited two Apprentices herself through The Source, spoke at the event and answered questions from an invited audience to promote the Government's Backing Young Britain campaign. The campaign aims to bring national and local Government, businesses and the public and voluntary sectors together to create new opportunities for young people aged 16-24.

Ms Winterton said:  "I am delighted to be Backing Young Britain and supporting young people. Young people in Sheffield are the recruits of tomorrow and can help bring fresh ideas, skills and enthusiasm to any organisations. The Government is determined to help businesses take on young people so that both groups emerge strongly from recession. Together, even in these tough economic times, we can help this generation fulfil its potential."

The event was hosted by Tim Campbell, founder of the Bright Ideas Trust, a charity investing in young business start-ups, and Ms Winterton. At the event Ms Winterton met with business people from across the region including David Webber from The Source and Apprentice Jamie Oakes from the Sheffield Showcase project (pictured).

Sheffield Showcase is a unique project launched by The Source, Sheffield City Council and Yorkshire Forward that provides apprenticeships in visual merchandising.

The Source established a team of young, trainee visual merchandisers led by David Webber, an experienced visual merchandising manager, to work with local businesses to create ‘film set' window displays.

The Apprentices gain creative experience by designing and implementing displays with local artists and designers in shop windows of retail premises that have recently closed, and also spend time in placements with shops and stores undertaking visual merchandising.

The project was launched in July 2009 to bring together creative talent, retailers, and Apprentices to animate the Sevenstone development site in Sheffield City Centre and the project is designed to support South Yorkshire businesses and the local community.

David Webber, Visual Merchandising Manager at The Source said: "There is no doubt that taking on apprentices is a great way of growing your business. Young people bring fresh ideas and we have found that incredibly beneficial in our sector, retail, especially with shops geared to people of their own age."

Speaking after the event Tim Campbell said: "I really enjoyed today's event in Sheffield, the business people that came were extremely positive, and I hope we have been able to encourage them to support the campaign. Backing Young Britain is a really positive initiative that can bring real benefits to young people and to businesses."