Inflexible apprenticeships place skills agenda at risk

07/02/2011 - Apprenticeships need to be more flexible if they are to meet the needs of business and hit government targets.

“Apprenticeship Frameworks need to change, and our discussions with the Government show it is willing to listen to industry – which is good news." - Michael Smith, Lantra's Director of Policy, Research and Development

 

Lantra’s research has highlighted a range of problems with publicly funded Apprenticeship Frameworks. The sector needs 110,000 new entrants by 2017, and so must draw from an adult employee pool. However, Lantra’s report, Apprenticeships in the UK Land-based and Environmental Sector: Increasing Take-up and Opportunity, reveals an ‘unacceptably low’ take up of apprenticeships by employers, particularly in businesses employing 10 people or less.

Michael Smith, Lantra’s Director of Policy, Research and Development said: “The Government says more than 200,000 adults will be able to start apprenticeships each year by 2015, and has earmarked £250m.  But if it wants to hit its targets, and attract adults, it will have to make apprenticeships more flexible.”

Apprenticeships are struggling in a number of areas. For instance, colleges need more specialist resources, and training providers find land-based workers are widely spread, or working seasonally, making apprenticeships hard to deliver.

Other areas of concern include funding and its effect on recruitment. Full funding is only available for 16 to 19-year-old apprentices; much less funding is available for adults. However, many industries perceive health and safety requirements – such as under 18s from using heavy equipment - as a potential barrier to restricting employers’ and apprentices’ choices.
 

Michael added: “Apprenticeship Frameworks need to change, and our discussions with the Government show it is willing to listen to industry – which is good news. 

“Nearly a quarter of businesses provided on-the-job training which should be described as Apprenticeships. In fact, there are some excellent apprenticeship-style programmes which we think should be brought into Government Apprenticeship Framework.”