Challenge still remains on training

Aug 27 2008 by Patricia Wilkinson, The Journal

THIS week we can congratulate the young people of the North East in achieving the best set of GCSE results we have seen.

Many will now be facing an important decision over their next steps.

More opportunities are available than ever and in the last few weeks, the Government has published the draft apprenticeship bill to help realise their target of 400,000 apprentices by 2020, anticipating that one in five young people will take an apprenticeship by 2020.

This would mean an additional 22,000 apprenticeship starts in the North East by 2020, an extra 2,000 a year from 2009.

Employers in the North East provide one of the highest numbers of employed apprentice places in the country, second only to employers in the North West.

David Stubbs, of Shildon-based Createcity, who engage with NECC for all their apprentices, said “apprentices are vital to secure the future of business, to improve quality and results and to provide a skilled and motivated workforce”.

Employers in the North East must be commended for their investment in skills but more can be done.

The challenge still remains for us to ensure that all young people can achieve a Level 2 qualification.

As a region we must recognise that young people are more likely than average not to be in education, employment or training and we can no longer allow young people to leave school and drop off the radar.

It is time for employers to be supported and in some cases incentivised to take on employed apprentices. In light of this, last week’s announcement from Government to slash red tape associated with taking on an apprentice was very welcome.

Skills Secretary John Denham MP announced that unnecessary bureaucracy such as demands to store paperwork for up to six years, multiple inspection visits and monthly reporting requirements, will be discarded at the earliest possible opportunity.

These challenges have been laid at the door of the Learning and Skills Council, Qualification Curriculum Authority and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and we will be keen to see them delivered on at the earliest opportunity.

Earning on the job and avoiding student debt remain compelling attractions to students in taking an apprenticeship place.