New shadow chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships appointed

Antony Jenkins has been appointed Shadow Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships, the new independent, employer-led organisation created to support the government’s plan to create three million apprenticeships by 2020.

As shadow chair, Mr Jenkins will be an ambassador for the Institute for Apprenticeships and will also play a key role in designing its structure and providing strategic leadership and direction to the organisation during the critical phase of its development. He will work closely with the current team in preparing the organisation to start operations in 2017.

Mr Jenkins background includes a stint as Chief Executive of Barclays plc and he is the current chairman of Business in the Community – an organisation that supports businesses in acting socially responsible to create a fairer society and a more sustainable future. He is also a patron of the government’s employee engagement programme.

Mr Jenkins begins his new role today (9 June 2016). With the shadow chair in place, the remaining board members of the Institute for Apprenticeships will be appointed through a public appointments process by the end of 2016.

The Institute for Apprenticeships’ primary responsibility will be to act as the ultimate decision maker on approving apprenticeship standards and assessment plans to ensure they are of high quality. It will also make recommendations on the maximum level of government funding available for those standards and how much employers can claim for them. The Institute for Apprenticeships’ ultimate goal is to ensure employees get the skills they need to succeed from the apprenticeship system.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “Antony brings more than 3 decades of experience from the heart of business to the role and will help shape the Institute for Apprenticeships so it meets the needs of employers. We’re putting employers in control when it comes to apprenticeships because it’s employers who know the skills, training and experience their future workforce needs to succeed.”

Antony Jenkins said: “Apprenticeships are something I care passionately about. I am delighted to be taking on this role and working closely with different sectors which will be important in helping to create opportunities for millions of our citizens and providing great talent for business.”

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