1. 4 Months on: my wish list Andrew Gladstone-Heighton Policy Leader
@agladheight

2. Purpose
‘3 million’
What can we do?

3. Purpose: perception
Aligns with traditionalist view of apprenticeship The first national apprenticeship system of training was introduced in 1563 by the Statute of Artificers, which included conditions which could be likened to apprenticeship minimum standards today; Masters should have no more than three apprentices and apprenticeships should last seven years. The Act was repealed 251 years later as the popularity of apprenticeships waned in the early nineteenth century, partly due to conditions in factories and the perceived exploitation of young apprentices.

4. … vs reality
IPPR ANOTHER LOST DECADE? BUILDING A SKILLS SYSTEM FOR THE ECONOMY OF THE 2030s - Successive governments have mistakenly operated on the basis that raising skill levels among the population alone will create a ‘knowledge economy’ that will help workers succeed in spite of greater global trade and competition. The evidence, however, is that unless these changes are complemented with action to increase employer demand for and utilisation of skills, improvements in
qualifications will have little impact on productivity, pay and progression.

5. Evolution of a policy…
“Because of difficult decisions we will make on welfare, we will deliver 3m apprenticeships by 2020.”
David Cameron, 20 October 2014
“We have already delivered 2.2m new apprenticeship over the last five years. Over the next five years, we will deliver 3m more and ensure they deliver the skills employers need.”
Conservative Party Manifesto, Spring 2015
“Without new funds, Prime Minister David Cameron’s talk of improving apprenticeship quality while also having 3m new apprenticeships by 2020 is self-deception, at best.”
Fixing a Broken Training System: The case for an apprenticeship levy, Prof Lady Alison Wolf, 2 July 2015

6. …but no clarity?
“We’ve already doubled the number of apprenticeships to 2 million now we’re committed to 3 million more…We are going to take a radical, and frankly long overdue approach. We are going to introduce an apprenticeship levy on all large firms.”
Chancellor George Osborne's Summer Budget 2015 speech, 8 July 2015
“The Government has an ambitious target of hitting 3 million apprenticeship starts and as a Committee we want to examine how they are going to hit that target.”
Iain Wright MP, chair of Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee,
12 February 2016
“We will deliver our commitment to create 3 million apprenticeships for young people by 2020 and in doing so we will drive up the quality of apprenticeships to ensure they deliver the skills employers need”
Conservative Party Manifesto, May 2017

7. What can we do – how do we know how we’re doing?
Number apprenticeship completions
Number of levels achieved
Number of apprentices in sustained employment
Wage during and after apprenticeship
Increase in productivity

8. What can we do - to create a highly valued apprenticeship system?
Employers, awarding organisations, providers, government working together
Ensure traineeship provision produces learners ready to progress to a full apprenticeship.
Ensure that apprenticeships lead to sustainable careers
Engage learners and find out their views
Focus on quality, and the numbers will follow.

9. Thanks for listening
Andrew Gladstone-Heighton
Policy Leader