Ahead of National Day Apprenticeships Week it was an honour to respond to a Westminster Hall Debate on this very subject.
The Department for Education have done a tremendous amount of work to support the uptake of apprenticeships since 2010, including:
✅Over 5m apprentices since 2010
✅92% of apprentices who complete go into good jobs/further training
✅70% increase in L2 & L3 apprentice starts in 21-22
✅95% of SME costs paid by DfE
'Degree Apprenticeships' are my two favourite words in the English language. It is great that last year saw 43,000 young people enrol on these courses with over 140,000 completing since they were introduced in 2014/15.
Degree Apprenticeships have a lot of advantages including the ability to earn while you learn, get a quality qualification without student debt and they help build the prestige of skills & technical education. The establishment of 21 Institutes of Technology supported by £290 million of funding are helping to advance the important digital skills agenda.
To ensure apprenticeships are recognised and supported by employers, DfE have taken a number of important steps:
✅Moved from frameworks to standards
✅Ofsted will inspect all providers by 2025
✅More intervention powers to support apprentices, providers & employers
Apprenticeships are a key part of our educational landscape and a vital part of the ladder of opportunity. 💪⭐️🪜
