The mill, which processes around 640,000 tonnes of recovered paper annually, will be part of a number of UK-based companies, divided into eight groups, that have been recognised by the government for their work with apprentices and tasked with helping to reform apprenticeships.

It forms part of government plans, in response to the Richard Review published in November 2012, to redesign and modernise the national apprenticeship system by implementing a fundamental 'employer-led' approach.

UPM Shotton employs more than 300 people and currently has around 15 apprentices at different stages of study. The scheme, which has been running for 24 years takes five years to complete and is open to over 16s, focuses on electrical engineering and paper making. It is accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). 

UPM's process control and engineering supervisor Samantha Hubbard is leading the company's participation in the trailblazer scheme and falls under the Electrotechnical Group responsible for developing a new standard for electrical apprenticeships in England.

Hubbard said: "We want to make sure that the new standards are set at a reasonable level and that they are accessible to small businesses as well. 

"We want to design a really concise approach, within our group, that any business can look at and understand exactly what they need to do to run their own scheme that is 100% relevant to them and that their trainees are job-ready at the end of their course.  

"One of the things we want to focus on is sharing training with local companies, working as a local consortium, so if smaller companies don’t have the resources to do all the training, we can do some of it for them, provided we get the funding for it."  

Each member of the group will develop a new apprenticeship structure and design new assessment approaches for their industry, providing examples of best practice on which other businesses can build, with implementation of the reforms scheduled for 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Under the government’s plans, all new apprenticeships from 2017/18 will be based on the new standards and current funding frameworks will cease.

Details of the government’s plans to reform national apprenticeship funding are due to be announced before the end of the year.

Under the new 'employer-led’ approach, apprenticeships will be designed around standards set by employers to meet their needs and the needs of their sector. They must be more accessible to small businesses that will also be expected to take a part in developing the standards for their own schemes.

Independent assessment will be implemented at the end of each apprenticeship with a grade of pass, merit or distinction awarded to successful trainees.

Meanwhile apprentices will be required to complete last at least 12 months with no exceptions. Off-the-job training will continue to be a requirement and English and Maths requirements to achieve a pass will be stepped up gradually. 

Other sectors represented by trailblazer companies include aerospace, automotive, digital industries, energy, financial services, food and drink, and life and industrial sciences.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “I am very pleased that UPM Shotton has chosen to be at the forefront of our apprenticeship reforms.

"This is a great opportunity to be a trailblazer, building on existing successes to lay the foundations for rigorous and easily understood apprenticeships that will help Britain compete in the global race.

“Our aim is that the new apprenticeships will focus squarely on rigorous training for learners and simplicity of use for large and small employers, who will be in the driving seat of apprenticeships in future.

"This will mean that our apprenticeship system will respond better to the needs of the modern economy.”

The Lord Sainsbury’s Gatsby Foundation has pledged to support the first phase in developing the new standards with up to £1.6m of funding in 2013/14.

The first eight groups will begin work immediately with more to represent other sectors expected to be announced in the coming months. 

It is understood that print will not be represented by a trailblazer category although BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said the organisation was "staying very close to the initiative" and had met with the skills minister to discuss the future of apprenticeships in the printing industry.

"There is much detail to be worked out over the next two years so we anticipate a number of changes before a final model is implemented," she added.