Background
The Association of Colleges represents and promotes the 336 colleges in England including 243 further education colleges (FE) and 93 sixth form colleges incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Colleges educate and train 834,000 16 to 18-year-olds compared with 438,000 in maintained schools and academy sixth forms. An additional 70,000 16 to 18-year-olds undertake an apprenticeship through their local college[1]. 2.2 million people aged 19 or over study or train in colleges.
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a job with training. Every apprentice is employed and will spend the majority of their week in their workplace. They will spend some of their week at a college or other training provider. All three main parties are committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships.
Key facts and figures
The Coalition has overseen a major increase in the number of apprenticeships since 2010. The majority of this increase has been amongst adults aged 19 and over.
Apprenticeship starts 2009/10 to 2013/14[2]
Age / 2009/10 / 2010/11 / 2011/12 / 2012/13 / 2013/14Under 19 / 116,800 / 131,700 / 129,900 / 114,500 / 119,800
19-24 / 113,800 / 143,400 / 161,400 / 165,400 / 159,100
25 and over / 49,100 / 182,100 / 229,300 / 230,300 / 161,600
Changing landscape?
The Government has proposed that the current system for the delivery, content and funding of apprenticeships be given to employers, with funding provided via the PAYE system. We were concerned about these proposed changes and in particular whether small and medium sized businesses would be able and willing to manage the bureaucracy required to navigate through the system.
On 13 January, the Minister for Skills and Equalities, Nick Boles MP announced that “further detailed design work is needed before there can be a final decision on how this [new system] would work in practice.”[3] We welcome this decision.
Male and female balance
One of the major issues facing the apprenticeship system is the imbalance between males and females on certain programmes. Examples are set out below.
Apprenticeship starts 2012/13[4]
Apprenticeship / Male / FemaleChildren’s Care, Learning & Development / 2,070 / 24,230
Constructions skills / 13,350 / 250
Engineering / 13,380 / 440
Health and Social Care / 13,650 / 67,210
Although there are no easy answers to these disparities, which often reflect decades of tradition, more could be done to ensure everyone is aware of the different opportunities available and specific efforts are made to rebalance take-up. One of the ways to do so would be to introduce a careers information hub in each local area involving schools, colleges, local employers and the local enterprise partnership. Alongside this, careers education, within which gender stereotyping could be included,should be introduced as part of the school curriculum.
A comprehensive pre-apprenticeship offer
The Government introduced traineeships for both 16 to 18-year-olds and people aged over 19. Colleges have welcomed this initiative and worked hard to recruit trainees and engage local employers, with whom the trainee has to spend some of their working week. Despite this, a recent AoC survey showed that 70% of colleges say it is difficult to convince employers to take on a trainee and 38% say the same about apprentices[5] although recent figures have shown an overall increase in the numbers of traineeships.[6]
To address this concern, traineeships should be converted into pre-apprenticeship training, specifically created to prepare 16 and 17-year-olds for a full apprenticeship. This training should last two years, be set at Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) and include the soft skills so desperately needed by employers. It would, of course, include a work experience element, and build on the concept of study programmes and the raising of the participation age in education or training to the age of 18.
Where particular sectors wish to continue to recruit 16 and 17-year-old apprentices, for example in hospitality, catering or hairdressing, they should be allowed to continue to do so. However, in other areas, such as construction, engineering and plumbing, employers have shown little willingness to recruit people aged 16 or 17. The next Government should work with those sectors to understand exactly what skills these young people lack. This proposal would provide this age group with a genuine alternative to university at the age of 18.
[1]Association of Colleges, 2014, AoC Key Facts 2014/15
[2]Apprenticeship Programme Starts by Level and Age (2009/10 to 2013/14)
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