Apprenticeship: Recent
Developments
Introduction
1. This short report follows our report, 'Apprenticeship:
a key route to skill', published in July 2007[1].
Since then, besides the Government Response to our report[2],
there have been a number of Government proposals on vocational
education and training, and the Apprenticeship Reform Bill is
scheduled to go through Parliament in 2008/09.
2. We therefore decided to invite the Rt Hon
John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities
and Skills, to give evidence to us on progress since our report
had been published. We heard evidence from the Secretary of State
on 20 May 2008 and have since decided to issue this
brief follow-up report.
3. We recognise and welcome the Government's
commitment to ensuring that more young people take up and complete
apprenticeship schemes as outlined in the report 'World-class
Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All'[3].
4. The evidence that we heard from the Secretary
of State contained much that we welcome.
5. We applaud the Government's decision to introduce
a "matching service" system, similar to that used for
university admissions, where all apprenticeship places are advertised
and through which young people can apply. This mirrors our earlier
recommendation for a "clearing house" for apprenticeships.
We were also happy to learn that in the private sector large companies
with big apprenticeship schemes will be encouraged to "overtrain"—that
is, to take on more apprentices than they need themselves. This
can appeal to large companies where some of the apprentices will
go on to work in their local suppliers. Plans to provide 500 apprenticeships
in Whitehall are a welcome sign that the Government recognises
the potential for increasing apprenticeship provision in the public
sector.
6. We welcome the Secretary of State's recognition
in his evidence that our report was "enormously helpful"
and also his invitation to monitor the progress made by the Government
in promoting and expanding apprenticeship.
7. In accepting the Secretary of State's invitation,
we shall outline now a number of concerns about the Government's
plans that we consider need to be addressed with some urgency.
1 Economic Affairs Committee, 5th Report
(2006-07) (HL 138) Back
2
Cm 7228, October 2007 Back
3
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, 2008 Back
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