The nine trainees began their apprenticeships in 2006 and have now completed the training and been given permanent posts - something that not all apprentices are guaranteed.

The company said the young trainees had been kept on because of the skill and commitment they had shown.

Rolls-Royce, based in Goodwood, near Chichester, has also announced the start of recruitment for the company's next intake of apprentices in August 2010. No numbers have been confirmed.

The recruitment is the latest in a string of small-scale hirings over the past year to cope with the arrival of the company's second production line, manufacturing the sporty new Ghost model.

The first Ghost will be shipped out some time before the new year.

Chief executive Tom Purves said: 'Ghost is likely to continue to create employment opportunities over the next few years and new apprentices will be ideally positioned to take advantage of this.'