Richard Harrington MP: Our ambition for 3 million new apprenticeships in the next five years

My role as the Prime Minister’s adviser on apprenticeships is an honour. Over the past few months, I have met many inspirational young people who are realising their ambitions through hard work and determination: we should all be proud of the UK’s apprentices.

I was delighted to be involved in welcoming home some of our brightest apprentices who competed in Team UK at WorldSkills São Paulo 2015. Our team brought home three Gold, four Silver, two Bronze medals and 24 Medallions of Excellence from WorldSkills. This means that over three quarters of the team was judged to have reached the world class standard in their skill; what a fantastic achievement – our best ever results!

Of the 40 young people (aged 18 to 25) who competed as part of Team UK, 25 are either currently or formerly in apprenticeships. They come from a wide range of employers – SMEs to large multi-national companies – and competed in 36 of the skills competitions.

Apprenticeships provide young people with the opportunities to reach their potential, giving them what it takes to achieve a successful career. And hiring apprentices helps businesses to grow their own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. And as a former employer who has taken on apprentices, I know how committed, hard-working and enthusiastic they are and can talk first-hand about the many benefits they bring to businesses, improved skills levels, service, morale and productivity to name but a few.

The continued growth of degree and higher apprenticeships are widening access to the professions and providing higher level technical skills employers need to improve productivity and giving young people an equally valid career route as going to university.

Team UK are role-models and sources of inspiration. Their involvement in WorldSkills brings about a keen sense of pride in our great quality skills and vocational training. Skills competitions such as these provide the opportunity to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships and serve to encourage talented young people to strive for excellence and the recognition they deserve.

Our ambition is to have 3 million new apprenticeships in the next five years. Skills competitions and promoting the success of these brilliant young people will help us on the way to achieve this.