Over at the party website, there’s a piece today marking the fact that the coalition government or, let’s not kid ourselves, Vince Cable, has created 2 million apprenticeships.
To mark the occasion, Vince met the two millionth apprentice, Paige McConville in Oxford. Paige, aged 16, started her Advanced Apprenticeship in Engineering Manufacture with high-tech engineering firm FMB Oxford in August.
Paige took Vince on a tour around FMB Oxford, explaining how her apprenticeship with the firm is giving her the skills she needs to begin her career as an engineer.
All young people should have the opportunity to get on in life, and apprenticeships are a great way to achieve that. That’s why the Liberal Democrats have prioritised creating jobs and apprenticeships in this Government.
Commenting on the good news, Vince Cable said:
“Reaching the 2 millionth apprenticeship is testament to this Government’s commitment to apprenticeships. Paige and her employer are a shining example of how apprenticeships give young people the chance to start a career and give businesses the talent to grow.
“This isn’t just about numbers. From space engineering, to TV production, to legal services, apprenticeships are the ticket to a great job and a route employers trust to access the skills they need.
How excellent that the 2 millionth apprentice who showed Vince round her place of work is a young woman in a Science/Technology/Engineering/Maths area too.
It was good to see a bit of personal backstory and an explanation of why we think it’s important as Liberal Democrats to put so much energy into creating opportunities for young people.
I think the story could have been improved slightly. It would have been great to have a photo there. Also, it might also have been good to remind people how Vince had made sure that apprentices got a decent pay rise.
It would mean around 31,000 apprentices in the first year of their programme will benefit from a pay rise of more than £1 an hour.
Vince Cable hoped the move would encourage more young people to take up an apprenticeship.
He said: “The National Minimum Wage has successfully protected the incomes and jobs of the lowest paid workers in the UK.
“This year it will see the first above inflation rise in the minimum wage since the recession.“Thanks to the Lib Dems, apprenticeships are helping to create a stronger economy and opportunities for young people. I want the minimum pay for apprentices boosted by £1 an hour.”
The proposal to the LPC would see wages will rise from £2.73 to £3.79 an hour on current rates. This will also help employers by simplifying pay structures.
Way back in 2009, Nick Clegg was talking about the need for a lifeboat for a lost generation. It seems to be setting sail now.
I think it’s important that we focus on showing how what we have done in government has made real, practical, personal improvements to people’s lives.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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14 Comments
I have noticed my own employer – an IT software and services company – becoming more and more enthusiastic about apprentices, and we seem to have got some really great people on board through this route. The company is serious about investing in these people for the long term, and does not just regarding them as cheap labour. Really pleased that Vince Cable has been so dogged on this.
I agree, but our campaigns team appear to have gone awol. Nice fancy lib Dem graphics with numbers on them don’t have nearly as much clout as one news story with an actual apprentice being interviewed, with the line “this is one of two million created since 2010” added as an afterthought.
Apprentices are a real success story. Both coalition parties should shout them from the rooftops
What is quality like compared to City and Guilds- NVQ nick name was Not Very Qualified ? Historically apprenticeships were 5 years in duration with 2 extra years for specialist training. What is quality of training like compared to that offered in Germany?
Vince has been an excellent business secretary.but Charlie is asking the right questions.
I am a little cynical about the growth in apprentices, whilst I have no doubt that there are good training programmes around, some schemes offer minimal training. We were approached by a government agency who were selling apprenticeship schemes (they get paid for every apprentice). It was explained that the training commitment was minimal, but we got a members of staff for £2.73/hr.
Vince is right to seek an increase in the minimum wage for apprentices. I wonder how many of the 2 million are in real training schemes.
I just find it strange that apprenticeships used to be for four years plus but under this scheme you can complete an apprenticeship within 4 months. Can someone explain why?
My apprentice is studying for a degree by distance learning funded by my employer. She turned down a degree to do a level 5 apprenticeship with us. I do a lot of science outreach work and she is my most enthusiastic helper.
*She turned down a place at university to do a Level 5 apprenticeship. I know of others who have done the same. They’ve improved morale no end: it’s good to have younger colleagues to nurture .
Paul Westlake
The situation you describe trained Mitchell- Spitfire, Chadwick-Lancaster and Wallis- Wellington and Bouncing Bomb which is impressive.
“We were approached by a government agency who were selling apprenticeship schemes (they get paid for every apprentice). It was explained that the training commitment was minimal, but we got a members of staff for £2.73/hr.” (Stephen Donnelly)
“…under this scheme you can complete an apprenticeship within 4 months. “ (A Social Liberal)
These observations reveal that as much as some (including I’m sure Vince Cable) see apprenticeships as an important route to improving the life chances of many plus benefitting the wider economy there are others who see them as yet another statistic to be manipulated for a cheap headline. Sadly, this appears to include some in the Lib Dems judging by the linked piece.
If apprenticeships are to mean anything then they will come to mean nothing. The term should be confined to nationally recognised qualifications of at least 5 years duration.
Paying agencies for every apprentice they place is most certainly the wrong funding model and is guaranteed to lead to perverse outcomes (shades of ATOS etc.). Taxpayers should only pay for results – which in this context means nationally recognised qualifications achieved (but including part qualifications achieved on the way to completion).
GF
Good comments: in the 80s many YTS schemes were just unskilled labour. A British YTS in motor mechanics took 2 years to cover what a German did in 6 months !
Its good to see positive comments, however its the same old problem that we have with the media they never report anything good that we have done. If its bad news they are only too happy to stick the boot in.
They are not Real apprenticeships. At best a few months basic training not 3 4 or 5years apprenticeships
Tez “all apprenticeships must be 12 months long”
http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/be-an-apprentice/the-benefits.aspx
Stephen – will you name that agency. Was this a reference to the requirement on the employer to provide training as employers can partner with training organisations so – in terms of requirement on the employer – that may be true but not quite as it is being portrayed.