A teen apprentice argued that the company's policy of not hiring younger employees was unfair.
Some manufacturers, according to the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, would not hire those under 21 because they were "unreliable.".
Allison Roberts, a 19-year-old employee at Autocraft in Telford, urged companies to think twice.
Tina Williams, her manager, concurred and urged businesses to support apprentices.
Since hiring employees is becoming increasingly difficult, she said, "We all have to take that chance because the apprentices are really the future of our business.".
The chamber reportedly received hundreds of responses to an anonymous survey.
It observed a growing pattern of companies having issues with younger workers who don't show up for interviews or quit soon after starting.
Ms. Williams claimed that similar issues had previously existed at her company.
Recruiting is currently very challenging, she said.
"We're just in a lucky spot right now because our business currently employs nine trainees, which is a huge success. ".
Ms. Roberts stated that while she could appreciate some businesses' concerns about hiring young people, she thought a blanket ban was unfair.
We are the future, and we need every opportunity we can get, she said, so I don't personally think it is very fair.
Some businesses don't spend the time getting to know their employees and learning about their backgrounds; instead, they look at a CV, note the applicant's age, and decide not to even bother. ".
Having young people work for her company, according to Ms. Williams, was beneficial.
For all of us, there is a learning curve, she said.
We want our skilled employees to train our apprentices, but I'm sure some of the young people also bring something unique because they appear to be much better than some of us on the pcs\..
