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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Cable on apprenticeships
November 2, 2011 10:49 AM
• [Oct 31] Vince Cable writes: I REGARD the growth in apprenticeships as one of the government's most notable successes - and with every apprenticeship delivering a return of some £40 for the wider economy, it is good news for the public purse too. Unprecedented investment is now creating career opportunities for record numbers of trainees and I am proud that people of all ages are benefiting from the opportunity to learn the skills they need to progress in work.
Thanks to stringent new standards, introduced by this government, every apprenticeship offers high-quality on-the-job training directly relevant to the needs of employers. An increasing number of apprentices now progress to higher levels of learning: last week's statistics revealed an 82% increase in advanced apprenticeships since 2009 to 150,000. By helping firms improve the skills of their workforce, we are helping them to improve their productivity and competitiveness. Vital sectors like construction, manufacturing and engineering have responded by continuing to back apprenticeships, despite tough economic times.
There is more to do. We'll continue to drive up standards, cut bureaucracy for smaller firms and work with businesses to support more high-level training, including up to degree equivalent level. And we'll continue to target additional support on young people who need extra training and work experience to make the grade for an apprenticeship. For too long this country has been held back by the outdated notion that the vocational route is inferior to the academic one. Cynical interpretations of the real progress we are making only helps entrench such views.
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