Last week we celebrated the eighth National Apprenticeship Week, which saw more than 600 events held across the country, shining a national media spotlight on Apprenticeships; a spotlight which was only intensified by the build up to the general election.
With a year of change behind us and a great deal of uncertainty still ahead in terms of the future for Apprenticeships, the week provided a welcomed opportunity to take stock and appreciate the true value that Apprenticeships have on the lives of learners, businesses and our economy. Co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, the week aims to help inspire more young people to become apprentices, whilst encouraging business to unlock the potential of Apprenticeships.
Skills Minister Nick Boles was keen to use the week as a platform to address what he described as “outdated attitudes” towards Apprenticeships held by parents and teachers, saying he wanted to promote the idea that apprentices could “go as far as they want to go”. He expressed his view that the image problem Apprenticeships have among the older generation is a result of being brought up at a time when going to university was presented as the only choice for able pupils.
I agree that there’s still some work to be done in realigning attitudes towards Apprenticeships in order to ensure that young people are being given the right advice about the range of options that are available to them. For example, a recent survey released by British Gas reported that parents are far more likely to suggest an Apprenticeship to a son than to a daughter. When asked about the types of careers their parents would like them to pursue, 24% of boys mentioned an Apprenticeship, compared to just 7% of girls. In addition, research from NCFE showed that 40% people feel that learners looking to do an apprenticeship aren’t given enough support.
I was, however, encouraged by the success of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, with recent figures showing that more than 23,000 new Apprenticeships were pledged by employers throughout the week. Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The success of National Apprenticeship Week 2015 and these 23,000 pledges highlights just how popular apprenticeships have become.
"More and more young people, parents, teachers and employers are recognising the value of learning on the job. With Apprenticeships in everything from rail engineering to TV production, they really are now a fast-track into a successful career."
Outlining his own vision for the future during National Apprenticeships Week, Shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna, stated that he wanted to see as many school leavers going into Apprenticeships as go to university by 2025.
With a cross party emphasis on Apprenticeships and a continued drive to increase participation, I’m hopeful that we should soon reach a tipping point in awareness of the value of work-based training. As a result of the government’s bid to increase stats in the number of Apprenticeships, the next challenge facing the sector will be to ensure that quality isn’t compromised.
Apprenticeships offer learners fantastic opportunities to learn a skill, gain work experience and reach the end goal of getting into employment. Best of all, an Apprenticeship can offer up a real future; after finishing, the majority of apprentices (85%) will stay in employment in comparison to the growing number of graduates who find themselves unemployed after completing their university course.
NCFE offers a range of full and part Apprenticeships at Intermediate and Advanced Level in sector areas including Health, Public Services and Care, Retail and Commercial Enterprise, Leisure, Travel and Tourism, Business, Administration and Law, Education and Training. We also offer qualifications that help with progression into apprenticeships in terms of building confidence and transferable skills. Download our updated Apprenticeship Directory for 2015 from our Apprenticeships page to see a full list of NCFE Apprenticeships.
