Government apprentice programme criticised by MPs

The government’s apprenticeship programme has been criticised by a committee of MPs and reform is needed for success, despite 500 people joining the scheme last year.

The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee 11 month report into apprenticeships urges schemes to be more ambitious and would like the scheme to be measured by the standard of training provided, rather than the number of apprentices recruited.

Apprenticeships should be seen as equal to university study, says the report, but standards need to be improved and schemes need to be better monitored in order to provide the skills needed to boost economic growth.

Last year the government made apprenticeships a priority and invested £1.2bn in the apprenticeship programme, with 457,200 people starting training as an apprentice.

Reforms recommended include: a clearer government policy on apprenticeships that defines their purpose and goals; an assessment of how schemes are funded and how they are taken up, especially with regard to which age groups benefit most; that the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) should have a statutory responsibility to raise awareness of apprenticeships for students within schools.

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