Manufacturers welcome boost to apprenticeships

The Bill, which for the first time will establish a statutory basis for the entire apprenticeships programme, will set out the relationship between different parts of the apprenticeship system and redefine the 'blueprint' outlining what apprenticeships should contain. The Government anticipates that around one in five of all young people will be undertaking an apprenticeship in the next decade and the draft Bill seeks to further establish apprenticeships as a mainstream learning option alongside going to college or university. The Bill is intends to: * Ensure there are enough apprenticeship places available * Outline the role of the new National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), which is being established to act as a one-stop shop for employers * Bring together a range of services and operations currently dispersed among a range of agencies. Skills Minister David Lammy said: "This Bill now ensures that apprenticeships are a badge of quality, without question. Apprenticeships have been going from strength to strength, and over the past decade we have more than doubled the number of young people and adults starting apprenticeships. But we need to go further to ensure both the number and quality of apprenticeships He said that tackling skills shortages apprenticeships could help businesses weather difficult economic times. The manufacturers organisation EEF welcomed the publication of the Bill, believing it would make a significant contribution to increasing the overall numbers of apprentices whilst, at the same time, improving their quality. EEF Education & Skills Adviser, Andrew Smith, said: “The strong performance of UK manufacturing over the last few years combined with the move to higher value products and manufacturing techniques has raised the demand for high skilled labour. As a result, the demand for apprentices is increasing and it is becoming an increasingly important route of entry into skilled jobs in the sector. The focus on apprenticeships as a route of entry into highly skilled and highly paid careers, rather than as a route for those who have not succeeded academically, will be welcomed by manufacturers.”