Apprenticeship take up ‘is too low’ - MPs

The Education Select Committee says schools do not understand the benefits of apprenticeships and suggest they are being driven by a cultural preference for “the academic over the vocational” and by incentives to fill sixth form places rather than offer alternatives to young people.

Its report recommends Ministers urgently review the incentives for schools to provide good quality careers advice - warning that the system does not work if “the interests of schools and young people are not aligned”.

The committee’s chairman, Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart, is expected to say today that although the number of high quality apprenticeships lasting at least 12 months has doubled in the current parliament but the overall numbers of 16 to 19-year-olds on apprenticeships is too low.

The committee’s report published today said there were 119,760 16 to 19-year-olds starting apprenticeships in 2013/14. This was 5,000 higher than the year before but down on 2010/11 when the figure was 129,890.

The report calls for more information on the destination of apprentices and for strong efforts to be made to challenge attitudes which “duly unfavour academic routes” and blocks access to information about apprenticeships.

Mr Stuart, the Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness said: “Schools need to provide their pupils with far better information on apprenticeships and the potential value of early experience in the workplace and the potential value of early experience in the workplace.”

The report also suggests that the Government consider reinstating or replacing the Young Apprenticeship for 14 to 16-year-olds as a way of getting young people to get vocational experience.

It also says that the challenge for Government remains to drive up the quality of provision while ensuring that more employers commit to providing apprenticeships for young people.