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McDonald'​s has ­​pocketed £​10million of public money for an ­​apprenticeship scheme ...but has not created a single new job with it.

Instead, the multi-national fast-food giant has spent the whole sum on ­​“​career progression”​ for 18,000 existing staff.

A Sunday Mirror investigation has found that among nine other major firms which take the most money from the scheme, ­​£​20millio​n has been spent to create just 2,559 new jobs.

With unemployment hitting 2.67million PM David Cameron has pushed apprenticeships as a way to get young people back into work. In July he revamped the Skills Funding Agency to work directly with employers and recently said: “​Apprenti​ceships are at the heart of the kind of economy we want to build: one where many more young people have the chance to learn a proper trade.”​

Taxpayers have so far paid out £​30,934,034 to create jobs which cost £​12,088 each. But anyone on an appren­​tice’​s minimum wage takes home just £​5,200 a year.

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