Member Article

David Cameron makes apprenticeship pledge

At a visit to a Buckinghamshire training academy during National Apprenticeship Week, David Cameron pledged to make apprenticeships the “new norm” for school leavers who choose to leave academic study. During his visit, he called on employers, educators and MPs to create more apprenticeship roles for young people.

Research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research has predicted that apprenticeships could bring the economy GBP3.4bn every year by 2022. He reiterated how committed the government is to supporting the apprenticeship pathway. He spoke about following the example of Germany, as most of its teenagers enter an apprenticeship or university directly from school.

His comments come as the Centre for Economics and Business Research predict that completed apprenticeships over the next 10 years could contribute up to £3.4bn a year to the UK economy through productivity gains by 2022.

Cameron said: “Our drive to reform and strengthen apprenticeships, raising standards and making them more rigorous… means that an apprenticeship is increasingly seen as a first-choice career move. But we need to challenge ourselves to go even further. That is why I want it to be the new norm for young people to either go to university or into an apprenticeship. We need to look at how we can expand apprenticeship opportunities so that they are available to all young people who are ready and eager to take them up and aspire to get ahead in life.”

Read the article here: http://www.apprenticeeye.co.uk/2013/03/14/david-cameron-makes-apprenticeship-pledge/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michaela Clack .