The past fortnight has seen the 2 major political parties hold their final annual conference before the General Election in May 2015. At each event, the parties set out their policy plans and goals if they were to lead a majority government post General Election.
These plans were articulated through a range of keynote speeches by significant Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet leads, as well as through fringe events, where key decision makers and corporate interests could discuss particular policy matters in a more intimate setting.
Apprenticeships remain a key area for both parties, but there is the potential that increased numbers might have to be achieved with less funding.
Labour’s key point was that by 2025, as many people will take a higher quality apprenticeship as go to university. Their plans include:
- ensuring Further Education colleges focus on training for local jobs
- creating employer driven apprenticeships lasting a minimum 2 years
- creating a Technical Baccalaureate, with respected qualifications
- introduce careers advice and ‘technical degrees’ so young people can earn and learn
- ‘reconnecting’ AS levels with performance indicators
- favouring devolving power to ‘cities and regions’ through Local Authority and industry groups. This could result in a skills agenda that is geographically diverse rather than being split by sectors.
The Conservatives proposed:
- ensuring there would be (more) apprenticeships at Level 3 and above, and larger amounts of education at ‘Technician’ Level - license to practice degree level qualifications at levels 4 and 5
- seeing through their plan to eliminate the deficit – the latest treasury estimate is that this would need an extra £25billion in savings from across government departments
- waiting for the current apprenticeship trailblazers pilots to deliver and finding out what works before further apprenticeship reform plans are announced
- setting out plans for every child to learn the values for living in modern Britain, including resilience and character building alongside academic achievement.
It looks like whichever way the vote goes next year, there will be an even greater shift towards apprenticeships, with MP Nick Boles stating, “If I was in an institution offering FE, I'd pretty quickly get into apprenticeships.”
What’s your thoughts on the stances of each party? And do you agree that apprenticeships are indeed the future?
