Government to protect apprenticeships by law

Within the Enterprise Bill, this will see apprenticeships valued equally to higher education.

The Government has today confirmed that the law will recognise the term ‘apprenticeship’, so that its importance as a career path is recognised further.

With a commitment to create 3 million apprenticeships in the next five years, this is a particularly significant step which will be implemented through the Government’s Enterprise Bill.

What this means is that the term ‘apprenticeship’ will not be able to be used in an incorrect manner or to advertise courses that are lower on quality than apprenticeships are.

Let’s not forget that the idea of apprenticeships is to give an alternative career path to those who go on to higher education, yet one that is seen in an equal standing to this, which will in turn continue to improve the reputation of these courses.

It means that anybody who undertakes a successful apprenticeship will be recognised and employers will view these people as important to the growth of the particular industry they are skilled in.

Apprenticeships are seen as key to business, with seven out of every ten employers saying they have been useful to their business and for the people who start careers as apprentices, there is a structured career path awaiting them with proven evidence showing earnings are increased for those who undertake them.

The Government say that targets will be set for public bodies to take on more apprenticeships, and it is certainly something that the construction industry has a great track record of. Many in the industry have employed apprentices or ran apprenticeships schemes, giving young people the chance to work their way through the industry over the years and eventually into senior positions.

Skills Minister, Nick Boles, spoke about the thinking behind the move to legally protect the term ‘apprenticeship’.

He said: “If university graduates have their moment in the sun, so should people who undertake apprenticeships.

“Businesses know their value so it’s high time they were recognised both by the public and in law as being equal to degrees.

“We want far more employers to get involved in apprenticeships. This means making sure that we practise what we preach in Government, so we’re going to require all public sector bodies to employ apprentices.”

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