One remarkable thing about the recent election in the UK was how much the question of apprenticeships was on everyone’s lips. Many of the various political parties made clarifying their positions on apprenticeships a priority, which reflects the increasing recognition in modern society of how important apprenticeships are to the ongoing success of a huge range of sectors.
Now the election has been and gone, in our latest blog we’ll look at the pledges Labour made regarding the future of apprenticeships and how these promises could impact us.
Increased flexibility
Ahead of the election, Labour outlined its plans to increase the flexibility offered to businesses in terms of how they spend government apprenticeship funds.
They promised to give businesses the option to invest up to 50% of their government funding in training existing members of staff to progress their careers via apprenticeships. This will help to tackle the ongoing misconception that apprenticeships are only for those looking to start out on a new career path.
Additionally, this shift should help to counteract the skills shortages in the UK with which many sectors and companies are struggling.
A focus on essential skills
Labour also made clear that apprenticeship funding should be invested in providing people with essential skills which will make them more valuable members of the workforce.
Areas such as digital literacy and understanding how to implement green initiatives were highlighted as being of particular value to people who are already in work but who are looking to take their careers to the next level.
Increase awareness of opportunities
One of the key things which will drive progress is for a greater number of businesses to become more aware of how working with apprentices could support their companies.
The common misconception that apprenticeships are just for school leavers, and that they are only available in a small number of fields, is still widespread. For these plans to be successful, there needs to be an awareness drive to change this narrative and to highlight to business leaders all the ways in which apprentices could contribute to the ongoing growth and development of their companies.
According to a March 2022 Department of Education report, of the people who drop out of their apprenticeship programmes, four in 10 say the reason why is because they were poorly run and that they weren’t given the proper time and support for their training.
This is why working with a reputable and experienced apprenticeship training provider is so important. Get in touch with us today to find out more about the support we provide both to individuals and to businesses looking to explore apprenticeships across a huge range of sectors.
