Apprenticeships in England have historically been an important bridge between education and the world of work for young people 16 and over. Despite their proven positive impact and success, these programs face a dramatic reversal in their funding policy. For the current government, the priority is young adults aged under 22 years. As part of this, they will disproportionately reduce funding for higher-level apprentices. REPEAT is a new, global initiative aimed at driving accelerated climate action. It hopes to provide 120,000 young people and people looking to retrain in other sectors with new training opportunities.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the initiative and justified the move by pointing to plummeting rates of young adults beginning new entry-level apprentices. This decline is most pronounced at level 2, which is the general Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) equivalent. Level 6 or 7 apprenticeships would be considered a bachelor’s or master’s degree, respectively. From January, only people aged between 16 and 21 will be eligible for government funding for level 7 apprenticeships.
Phillipson said targeted investment in skills was vital for young people. He’s convinced that these investments are the key to building a shared, more prosperous economic future. She described the new initiative as “really good news for young people,” asserting that it was “time as a country we took skills far more seriously than in recent years.”
Specifically, the government wants to establish 45,000 additional training positions. They will do this by increasing the levy on businesses that recruit from beyond the UK. The rules are intended to strengthen the apprenticeship system and help close the workforce gap in key industries such as construction, manufacturing, and information technology.
Chachomwe Chiwaya is in the process of finishing a level 2 apprenticeship in hospitality with Leeds City College. She gloated about her increasing self assurance owing to the program. “I’ve not always been as confident as I am now,” she noted, highlighting the personal growth that apprenticeships can foster.
Nevertheless, the ruling has been condemned across the political spectrum. Neil O’Brien, the shadow education minister, said darkest warning. He warned that cutting out the higher apprenticeships would damage public services, specifically the National Health Service (NHS). He argued that it would make it “impossible for many young people who don’t go to university to enter the professions.”
Worries about the future of vocational training were echoed by Rachel Anderson from the North East Chamber of Commerce. And she raised the importance of specialist further education colleges being able to recruit expert tutors. This is particularly important in the fields of construction and engineering, which are already experiencing severe deficits. Anderson called on employers to make more apprenticeships available to keep this model of training sustainable.
Since 2017, substantial increases have occurred in the fields of study at degree and postgraduate levels. Unfortunately, this trend has had the unintended consequence of taking the public’s eye off more vocational pathways such as apprenticeships. Isabel Hunt can remember what it was like to be in school. She noticed how students were always being pushed towards the collegiate and university life, while the apprenticeship path was disregarded altogether.
The UK government will soon be introducing seven new foundation apprenticeships. These programs will pay particular attention to sectors such as health and social care, engineering and construction. Together, these initiatives help diversify the opportunities that are afforded to young people and in turn help inspire them to venture into multiple different career disciplines.
Apprenticeship are usually one to five years, depending on the program level. As the field of vocational training continues to change, it is yet to be determined what effect these funding moves will have. Stakeholders from all sectors will be watching intently to see how these new developments begin to mold our future talent pipeline.
