Apprenticeships at risk from poor policy and government changes

Despite successive governments creating what is arguably the best career route for under-25s, apprentices say this is now at risk.

New research shows 98% of engineering apprentices are happy in their jobs – citing good pay and no debt, fulfilling work, qualifications and career progression. But this successful career route is at risk from government changes to the apprenticeship system and is being held back by poor careers advice at school.

The research was carried out with 1200 apprentices, through the Industry Apprentice Council – made up of apprentices from the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector and supported by national engineering skills body Semta.

Ann Watson, chief executive of the Semta Group, said: “As we finalise new standards for apprenticeships, it is important that ministers listen to apprentices and prevent the collapse of an extremely successful system. We are already facing an uphill battle with poor careers advice in schools. We need to make apprenticeships more attractive not less to our young people and employers, particularly the SMEs, at a time when we need all the engineers we can get and the skills gap is growing – we need nearly two million more engineers and technical staff by 2025.”

92% of the apprentices surveyed oppose the removal of mandatory qualifications by the Department for Education, with warnings that this risks creating a two tier system. Those studying the new T-Levels will achieve a recognised formal qualification while apprentices may not – as qualifications are not mandatory in the new apprenticeship standards.

John Coombes, IAC member and toolmaker at Ford Motor Company, said: “Governments have created what must be the world’s best career route for young people – where else would we get 98% saying they are happy with their career choice? But more than 90% of apprentices oppose the removal of mandated qualifications, and there is a lot of unease about the focus on the End Point Assessment as the primary measure of an apprentice’s achievement.”

Careers advice was highly criticised by the apprentices. Only 22% received good or very good advice from schools, with 5 per cent receiving no advice and nearly 40 per cent saying their advice was bad or very bad.

Semta Group www.semta.org.uk