Pre-Autumn Statement Submission on Apprenticeships
In advance of Wednesday’s expected announcement that there are now 1 million NEETs and a government announcement on apprenticeships, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, whose training provider members deliver over 70% of apprenticeships in England, has made a pre-Autumn Statement submission urging ministers not to get blown off course on from their previously announced plans for apprenticeship growth during this Parliament.
AELP has made clear to the Treasury and BIS:
- Apprenticeships are as important for upskilling the adult workforce as they are for training up school leavers.
- They currently do not result in dangerous ‘brand stretch’.
- Damaging brand stretch would occur if they embraced programmes for the unemployed/NEETs unable to meet the selection criteria laid down by employers.
- ‘Preparatory’ training for the unskilled unemployed should precede entry into an apprenticeship.
The association has pointed out that the apprenticeship programme, relaunched in 1994, was never set up exclusively for the benefit of young people as a form of job creation. The submission also addresses other misunderstandings and misconceptions about the programme.
Two additional points are worth bearing in mind, especially in the current economic climate. Firstly, over 262,000 young people in the 16 to 24 age group started an apprenticeship in 2010-11 – a 15.9% increase on the previous year – and these apprenticeships came with a contract of employment at a local business. Secondly, a record number of apprentices are completing their programmes. The success rate is now approaching 75% which compares favourably with the best in Europe.
The summary below of the AELP submission is being sent to MPs this week. The full submission can be downloaded from: www.aelp.org.uk.
Graham Hoyle, the AELP chief executive who is attending the government’s Apprenticeship Summit tomorrow, is available for interview.
Kind regards,
Aidan Relf
Spokesman for the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (www.aelp.org.uk)
Tel. 01483 832130 / 07710 305182
