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Government calls for urgent apprenticeship reforms

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has called for urgent reforms to be brought in to improve apprenticeship schemes.

A governmental committee published the Apprenticeships Report, detailing an 11 month inquiry that looked at people already in schemes in Sheffield and Northampton, and examined evidence in Westminster to improve work and training initiatives.

BIS said the term “apprentice” needed to be clearly defined, and an overarching strategy was required to create a monitoring system with a clear outcome.

Objectives that focused on increasing the number of apprentices taken on have been sidelined, and the Government proposed a “quality over quantity” mentality, despite potential difficulties with measuring the success of this change.

Adrian Bailey, MP and Chairman of the BIS Committee commented: “There are many areas that require closer scrutiny, careful monitoring or even complete reform.

“This wide-ranging, evidence-based report carefully lays out the areas where we feel the current model could better serve apprentices, their employers, or, in many cases, both.

“The apprenticeship programme can play a key role in resolving some of this county’s most pressing issues.

“It can help us to create a more skilled workforce, to increase employment and to generate sustainable economic growth.”

The Government said the National Apprenticeship Service needs to prepare students within schools for apprenticeships, while recommendations say the financial structure and methodology for assessing value for money should also be investigated.

Mr Bailey added: “This is a time of austerity for Government, individuals, for families and for businesses. But it is important that we continue to invest in skills.

“We heard evidence of excessive profits at the public’s expense, of a Government paying out too much money far too easily and of a lack of genuine value for money being provided by apprenticeship schemes. This is unacceptable.”

He concluded: “Young people in this country should be given every chance to fulfil their potential in school, in work and in life. An apprenticeships programme that is fit for purpose will help them do this.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .