As sound bites go, it’s not one of his best, but David Cameron is right to suggest that apprenticeships should be the ‘new norm’ for young people who want to go to university. But we should use National Apprenticeship Week to recognise that we have a long way to go before the apprenticeship system as a whole is up to the task. As the Richard Review of Apprenticeships found, there is a lot of work to be done. The entrepreneur and former “dragon” was polite when he pointed out that apprenticeships should be targeted at people new to a role and in need of training and that recognised industry standards should form the basis of every apprenticeship. The implication is that the opposite is the case: that apprenticeships are often used to provide training for older people already in employment and that standards vary wildly.
More MPs should also be putting their money where their mouths are.
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