North is leading the way

Jun 16 2008 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

THE North East is leading the way in providing opportunities for young people to take up apprentice placements.

A new report published by the TUC today highlights a significant North-South divide on apprenticeships, with the North East and North West regions offering apprentice opportunities at about 0.9% of the total employment rate, compared with 0.25% in Greater London and 0.51% in the South East.

It is the case that the numbers of apprenticeships are still too low and the volume of apprentice opportunities has declined by about 1,000 in the North East since 2005. But the region is pulling more weight in this area than all other English regions apart from the North West.

The Leitch Review of Skills identified increasing apprentice places as a key challenge for improving the UK economy, setting a target of doubling apprentice starts to 400,000 by 2020. There has been a small increase nationally, but at nothing like the rate needed to reach that goal.

Kevin Rowan, regional secretary Northern TUC