Apprenticeships
The Leitch report highlighted the fact that, for many years, Apprenticeships have been seen as the best possible route to obtaining practical vocational skills and a good job, though the numbers of traditional apprenticeships declined during the 1970s. However, the Government’s imperative to establish the apprenticeship as one of the main routes for young people to gain skills and progress in their learning has greatly increased take-up in recent years.
Apprenticeships offer an attractive opportunity for learners of all ages who wish to mix work based, and academic learning and who learn most successfully in work-based learning environments. An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised training programme combining real work with learning and training, both on and off the job. An apprentice will receive a wage whilst training and working towards the full apprenticeship. Apprenticeships also offer a range of progression routes including entry to Higher Education
An apprenticeship is available to anyone from the age of 16, subject to minimum entry requirements and is often available at both level 2 (equivalent to five or six GCSEs, grades A* to C) and 3 (equivalent to three A levels).
The Regional picture
The number of Apprenticeships in the North East represented 6.5 per cent of all national places in 2007, which is a much higher proportion than the region’s 16-18 age cohort. In World-class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All (the government’s strategy for the future of Apprenticeships in England), the government has introduced nationally an entitlement to an apprenticeship for each suitably qualified young person from 2013. In addition, the expectation is for 1 in 5 young people to be undertaking an apprenticeship by 2020.
The national Apprenticeships website provides details of over 180 Apprenticeships currently available across more than 80 industry sectors, as well as access to the latest Partners Newsletter. In addition, from November 2008 a National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service will be introduced.
