Ford has launched a new workshop at Central Sussex College to train its apprentice technicians from the south east.

Lord Tony Young, skills and apprenticeships minister, opened the new Ford workshop as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

Around 120 technicians on the Ford Masters apprenticeship programme will be trained in the new workshop while on block release at the college.

Ford has supplied three vehicles, engines, transmissions and tools to aid apprentices' instruction in the workshop, where apprentices will be trained for four annual two-week blocks throughout their course.

Central Sussex College, in Crawley, becomes one of seven further education colleges selected by Skillnet, Ford's training provider.

Across the UK, 1,100 dealership technicians, including 40 women, are part of the Ford Masters apprenticeship programme.

They follow a three-year course of on-the-job training in dealerships combined with instruction at local colleges and the company's Henry Ford College in Daventry, Northants.

The Ford apprentices, mainly aged 16 to 20 years, choose from 11 subjects including car and commercial vehicle servicing; service, accident repair and parts advice; and vehicle sales.