NEW concerns have emerged on the quality and status of the apprenticeships created under the Tory-led government as the Business Department’s own research has found almost four in 10 firms offering apprenticeships don’t even realise they are doing so claims Labour.
Since 2010, in-work training schemes for existing employees have been rebadged as apprenticeships by the government, to fix their struggling figures. This has shifted their focus away from new entrants to the workforce and raised concerns that the apprenticeship ‘gold standard’ has been undermined.
The new research comes as the proportion of apprenticeship starts made up by 16 to 24 year olds has fallen significantly from 82.3 per cent when the last Labour government left office, to 63.2 per cent last year.
Labour’s Mike Le-Surf said: "Apprenticeship are down 12.4% across all age groups in South Basildon and East Thurrock. The Conservative-led government has failed and the next Labour government will act to safeguard apprenticeship quality and create thousands of new top class apprenticeships."
Commenting, Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna MP said:
“Under the Tory-led government, we’ve seen the historic and trusted apprenticeship brand tarnished. In-work training schemes have simply been rebranded as apprenticeships so that ministers can boast of increased numbers, when the true picture is far less rosy. Our rigorous new standards would ensure that apprenticeships are a trusted gold standard once more and address the way they have been downgraded under this government.”
BIS research also finds that two-thirds of employers recruiting apprentices from existing staff don’t consider their qualifications to be apprenticeships at all, and this number is increasing.
The proportion of apprenticeships made up by over 25s have more than doubled, from 17.4 per cent in 2009/10 to 36.7 per cent in 2013/14.
Among apprentices over 25 years old, 93 per cent already worked for their employer before starting their apprenticeship, raising concerns that existing training programmes for those already in work are simply being rebadged as apprenticeships.
The government’s Apprenticeship Pay Survey has found that 21 per cent of apprentices receive no formal training, rising to 24 per cent for the 19-24 age group, while 15 per cent of apprentices are not receiving the relevant National Minimum Wage.
Under Labour’s plans, all apprenticeships would last a minimum of two years and be quality Level Three qualifications and involve proper training.
