Small business owners should take on apprentices to ensure that their workforce is sufficiently trained, according to The Forum of Private Business (FPB).

A survey by the FPB found that 68% of small business owners considered the skill levels of graduates as ‘average' and 18% stated that the general labour skills in the UK are ‘poor' or ‘very poor.'

By using apprentices small firms can ensure that those that are taken on are fully trained in the skills that are most important to their specific business.

"There is a clear gap between what businesses need and what businesses get when it comes to the ability of the traditional education system to produce viable employees for small businesses," said Nick Palin, the FPB's director of human resources.

"The FPB believes that apprenticeships could provide a solution and is encouraging businesses benefiting from apprenticeship schemes to come forward and tell their stories to others."