PRESS RELEASE : John Hayes delivers new quality guarantee for Apprenticeships [January 2011]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 20 January 2011.
The Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England, published today, will ensure:
- All apprenticeships deliver high quality, nationally-recognised qualifications relevant to the skill, trade or occupation of the learner and employer;
- All apprenticeships offer individuals appropriate training to achieve a good standard of literacy and numeracy (and ICT where relevant to the skill, trade or occupation);
- Every apprentice will receive at least 280 hours of guided learning per year.
John Hayes said:
“Apprenticeships are at the heart of our skills strategy because they are valued by employers and sought after by learners. By enshrining these characteristics in statute we send a clear message to employers and learners that every Apprenticeship is a high quality investment in the skills they need for the future.”
The Government will increase annual funding for adult Apprenticeships by up to £250m above the £398m a year funding inherited from the last Government, by 2014-15 and is reforming the programme to deliver 75,000 more apprenticeship places at advanced level and above. **
Over 85,000 employers offer Apprenticeships. There are almost 200 job roles in which someone may be an apprentice; from digital media to electrical engineering; horticulture to accountancy. Those with a Level 2 (GCSE level) apprenticeship earn on average around £73,000 more over their lifetime than those with an equivalent level qualification or below; and people with an advanced apprenticeship around £105,000 more.
