Apprenticeships report ‘must be taken seriously’

Doug Richards undertook the review for BIS. Among his recommendations are targeting apprenticeships only at those who are new to a job or role that requires sustained and substantial training and a focus on outcomes.

He also said recognised industry standards should form the basis of every apprenticeship and all apprentices should reach a good level in English and maths.

Toni Fazaeli, IfL’s chief executive, said, “As well as offering significant benefits to individual young people and adults, apprenticeships can make an enormous contribution to building the skilled workforce that our economy needs. We hope the government will take seriously Doug Richard’s recommendations to maintain and improve their status and quality.

“ IfL’s evidence to his review was informed by the views of more than 700 members in the work-based learning part of the further education and skills sector, for many of whom the difference between apprenticeships and on-the-job training was a hot topic in the context of value for money for the taxpayer, so we are pleased to see the report making this distinction.

“What also came out very strongly from members’ responses was that training should be delivered by qualified experts and that apprenticeships should offer a programme of education as well as a programme of training.

“This accords with Mr Richard’s description of an apprenticeship as ‘a form of education’, to which IfLwould add the implicit requirement that therefore it needs experts in learning, training and assessing.

“We agree with the assertion that good quality training is about more than empowered employers and robust standards and that investment in the capacity of good quality trainers is also important. IfLconsistently argues that teaching and training across the learning and skills sector is an attractive and rewarding career route.

“Through IfLmembership, training practitioners are able to ‘find better ways of identifying good training, promoting it and supporting it to grow.

“ IfLalso supports and promotes the integration of literacy, numeracy and functional skills, and believes that apprenticeship programmes should help individuals develop skills that enable them to continue learning, developing and staying competitive in the labour market in the long term. A straightforward way that providers can do this is by ensuring that front-line trainers and assessors have level 3 English and maths qualifications themselves.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

"Doug Richard's review echoes the Government's current thinking on putting employers in the driving seat of our apprenticeship programme. This will be vital to ensure the skills of our workforce fit with employer needs.

“His recommendations will help us to build on the current successes of our apprenticeships programme and tailor a programme which is sustainable, high-quality and meets the changing needs of our economy in the decades to come”.