Apprenticeships are the Key to Success for 90% of Businesses
A recent report, by City & Guilds, suggests that 9 out of 10 businesses believe that apprentices are the key to the future success of their organisation over the next two years.
City & Guilds are one of the UK’s leading vocational education organisations and supplier of Apprenticeship qualifications, employing over 1000 people and awarding 1.8 million certificates every year.
The Building Business Through Apprenticeships report, published on 7th February 2011, is based upon a survey of more than 500 employers across the UK, and examines the main barriers companies currently face in creating more opportunities for apprentices.
The findings also reveal that 52 per cent of those companies who already recruit apprentices believe that Apprenticeship offer greater value than hiring university graduates. Despite there only being 11 Apprenticeship places for every 1000 employees in the UK, 66 per cent of the surveyed employers believe that Apprenticeships are vital to ensure that the UK can compete in the changing global economy.
Chris Jones, CEO and Director General, City & Guilds said: “Many businesses, large or small, know that Apprenticeships can transform their organisation, but unless the barriers preventing more employers, particularly SMEs, from hiring an apprentice are addressed, there will continue to be a gap between supply and demand.”
The report also outlines that eight out of ten employers have experienced barriers to hiring apprentices; 25 per cent argue the process is too bureaucratic; 26 per cent don’t feel there are relevant apprentice schemes for their business and 20 per cent feel the current economic climate makes it too risky to commit to an Apprenticeship programme.
As the education system undergoes its biggest shake up in years the Government is recognising that Apprenticeships are key for the UK economy. The Government has increased the funding and support to the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to enable an additional 75,000 new Apprenticeships starts per year, from now until September 2013.
However Mr Jones warned that, “it is not enough for the Government to simply supply funding – as welcome as that may be. It’s about collective action, as there are many constraints on businesses currently and barriers around hiring apprentices.”
City & Guilds, in response to the Government’s increase in funding, launched a campaign, Million Extra, which aims to help support the Government and NAS to ensure one million Apprenticeships start by summer 2013.
Mr Jones added: “With our increasingly ageing population, core industry skills and quality of experience will continue to leave the UK workforce. City & Guilds is leading a new kind of revolution to help solve the challenges of Apprenticeships so that more employers can offer places.”
Jason McGee-Abe
Project Support Officer
Old fashioned apprenticeships were a brilliant step forward but all they are today is a form of modern day slavery as in reality as soon as the term of the apprenticeship is over the company let’s the apprentice go so they end up on the dole.
Big business in Great Britain loves cheap labour that’s why it encourages mass immigration thus driving down wages.