Labour: Ofsted should assess schools on apprenticeships promotion
4 min read
A Labour frontbencher called on Ofsted to measure how schools promote apprenticeships to their pupils to ensure the career path is given parity of esteem with studying at university.
Gordon Marsden, the Shadow Minister for Higher and Further Education, said inspectors should make reviewing the guidance provided by establishments on apprenticeships “a far more important part of what they’re doing”
“What is really important is that the value of apprenticeships is recognised by regulators and by inspectors,” he said.
“What gets measured is what gets valued. If we’re not measuring the ability of schools and colleges to talk about apprenticeships… then it won’t easily enter into the currency of valuation that parents and all the other sorts of people that we need to encourage.”
Mr Marsden was speaking during The Apprentice Panel at the Labour party conference in Brighton, co-hosted by KPMG, Heathrow and Battersea Power Station.
He was joined by fellow Labour MPs Karin Smyth and Catherine McKinnell, who are vice chair and co-chair of the All Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships respectively, and apprentices Rachel Penfold from Battersea Power Station, John Molly from Heathrow and Brian Nounev from KPMG.
During the session, Ms McKinnell revealed that young people in her Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency had often been warned against taking up apprenticeships by loved ones and teachers.
“They had to really defy their teachers to go on to these apprenticeships, and defy their parents as well and they’ve faced a lot of obstacles,” she said.
“That really is a huge concern and I think one of the big barriers for young people to get on to apprentices, that schools channel young people down the university route because most teachers, that will have been their experience.”
To begin the event, the apprentices set out how they were each encouraged to seek out apprenticeships by contrasting people in their lives, from their parents to schoolteachers.
Receiving wide praise from the assembled audience, the presenters said the career path must be promoted more by schools and companies to raise awareness.
Responding, Mr Marsden said: “I think what I took immediately from all three of the presentations, was the key role of encouragement and mentoring.”
“There is no substitute for that sort of personal encouragement.”
Brian Nounev, 20, joined KPMG360° rotational apprenticeship programme after being urged to by his economics teacher, turning down a place at Nottingham University in the process.
“I really liked the idea of learning while earning,” he said.
“I ended up choosing KPMG because it’s in the finance industry, which really appealed to me. The programme I’m on is a rotational one, where I can choose where I can go within the firm depending on what interests me and where I see myself going, while studying for AAT and going on to being chartered afterwards.”
He added: “I think one thing that really struck me when I joined the apprenticeship is the stigma in society. There is still very strong stigma among some people that apprenticeships are lower skilled, done by people who don’t need to go and do a degree, and often are seen as second rate.
“That’s not true at all, it’s a lot better for me than the graduate scheme would have been. I take more responsibility at a much quicker rate. I’ve managed graduates from university – they don’t like that at all! But it is what it is. I’m chuffed that I did open my eyes a bit more.”
Rachel Penfold, 23, heaped praise on the organisation, Women into Construction, who helped her find an apprenticeship at Battersea Power Station.
She said: “Being a woman in construction has made it a challenge. I would not be where I am today without Women into Construction, because they helped me with courses, they helped me get my job. I am now a construction ambassador and I have the opportunity to help others like me to make the right decision, whether it’s university, college or apprenticeships they would like to do.
“Working on Batter Power Station is an amazing experience, and it is also the biggest and most iconic site. I am proud to work there with my company Careys.”
John Molloy was informed of the apprenticeship programme at Heathrow by his parents, who each work at the airport.
During his address, he said: “The best thing about working at Heathrow is you get to see a lot of sections of Heathrow airport that you maybe you wouldn’t see watching from the outside.”
Wrapping up proceedings, Ms McKinnell called for further cross-party work to ensure the apprenticeship agenda is pushed forward.
“It is really important that we find common interest so we can push this forward, because ultimately, yes we want a Labour government, but we also want good apprenticeships and good quality apprenticeships and those opportunities for young people. But also we need to fill those skills gaps that we’ve got in our economy that we know exist,” she said.
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