Watford MP Richard Harrington has been tasked with creating three million apprenticeships after being appointed a key advisor to the Prime Minister.

Mr Harrington said he was "honoured" to have been asked by David Cameron to become his apprenticeship advisor.

He has been tasked with creating millions of apprenticeships across the country before the end of Parliament and is picking the brains of Watford training firms before drawing up his plan.

He said: "It’s an important job. I didn’t get in to politics to become Prime Minister or a Cabinet member, but something I could use my experience for to make a difference.

"The Prime Minister knows delivering more apprenticeships is a real passion of mine.

"They not only give young people a real opportunity in life, the chance to gain a qualification, learn real skills and earn money at the same time - but they have also consistently proven their worth to businesses.

"I have been reading everything I can and met with Bright House on Tuesday.

"I have meeting set up with Watford training providers 3AAA and TCHC as they have vast experience and I want to tap in to that and find out how we can improve further."

Mr Harrington set up the Watford Apprenticeship programme during his first term as MP - during which time 3,000 additional apprenticeship positions were created.

He was also behind the launch of four job fairs and is a vocal supporter of the Watford University Technical College.

Mr Harrington said: "Apprenticeships aren’t always what we typically think - they aren’t what they were 30 years ago.

"Apprenticeships are huge in areas such as business and management for example - these are real careers that deliver for young people and employers alike.

"This is what I have said to businesses in and around Watford over the years and I look forward to engaging with employers nationally to get this message across and deliver the target.

"This will complement my work in Watford and should enable further apprenticeship creation and investment for the town."