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Firms need help to meet ambitious apprenticeships targets

Ambitious Government plans to offer every school leaver an apprenticeship from 2013 must be backed by assistance for businesses if the proposal is to be a success, according to the North East Chamber of Commerce.

NECC backed the Government’s push to improve the skills of future employees and said the move to enrol more than half a million youngsters on apprenticeships was a ‘bold’ initiative that would ultimately help firms tackle skills shortages.

However, NECC is concerned that without the right support for businesses that do not currently offer apprenticeships, the scheme will ultimately prove unsuccessful. NECC is writing to the Government to express fears that many smaller firms will be expected to offer apprenticeships, despite not having the resources available to do so.

Joanne Lavender, NECC skills policy adviser, said: “For certain sectors of our economy apprenticeships are established and recognised as a valuable way of entering the workforce. Clearly the Government recognises their importance and we welcome the ambitious commitment to get more school leavers to enter apprenticeships.

“The challenge we see for the North East is how to encourage firms to offer such schemes. While larger companies have the infrastructure in place to take on school leavers in apprenticeship roles, many smaller firms just do not have the capacity to take on school leavers in this way.

“In its current state, the Draft Apprenticeship Bill is long on rhetoric but short on measures that would encourage businesses to offer places. We will be responding to the Bill with the views of our members and trust that the final, published Bill, will take into account our concerns.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .